In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find updates on scheduled executions and other Texas death penalty cases, a new report on exonerations in 2019, and recommended films, podcasts and other popular media on the death penalty.
El Paso
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals remands case of El Pasoan Robert Avila based on new science
This week, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a unanimous opinion remanding the case of Rigoberto “Robert” Avila, Jr. for consideration of the merits of his claim that his conviction was based on outdated science. Avila has spent 15 years on death row. He was sentenced to death in El Paso for the 2000 […]
El Paso Jury Rejects the Death Penalty for Christian Martinez
In the first Texas death penalty trial of 2014, an El Paso County jury has determined that Christian Martinez should spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2011 murders of Amalia Flores, 58, and her daughter Jovana Flores, 20. Ten of the twelve jurors agreed that mitigating evidence warranted a sentence other than death. […]
Petition for Rigoberto Avila, Jr. Seeks Evidentiary Hearing Based on New Science
*Update 09/11/13*: State District Judge Anna Perez has withdrawn the January 2014 execution date for Robert Avila in light of his new petition for an evidentiary hearing. Read more from the El Paso Times. Attorneys for Rigoberto (“Robert”) Avila, Jr., an El Paso man who has been on death row in Texas since 2001, have […]
Delay of Execution Granted to Rigoberto Avila, Jr.
State District Judge Anna Perez ruled this morning that more time is necessary for Rigoberto Avila, Jr.’s attorneys to explore new scientific evidence that might prove his innocence. Judge Perez halted his execution, which had been scheduled to take place next week on April 10th; a new date has been set for July 10. Mr. […]
State of Texas Scheduled to Execute Five People in April
Five executions currently are scheduled to take place in Texas this month; the April 3 execution date of Kimberly McCarthy has now been moved to June 26, 2013 upon an order from State District Judge Larry Mitchell. Here are the five inmates with execution dates in April: Rickey Lynn Lewis is scheduled to be executed on April 9, 2013. […]
March Alert: Events and News
Read more about upcoming events, news and developments happening in your community and around Texas!
June Alert: Executions, News and Events
Catch up on the Texas Legislature, currently scheduled executions, special events in El Paso and San Antonio and more!