Update as of 7:40 PM, July 8, 2020: The State of Texas executed Billy Wardlow tonight, July 8, 2020, despite an outpouring of support from legislators, juvenile justice and neuroscience experts, and so many others. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider his appeals, and there was no word from Texas Governor Greg Abbott in […]
execution
Ruben Gutierrez seeks 30-day stay from Governor Greg Abbott; appeal also pending with U.S. Supreme Court
Today, Ruben Gutierrez, who is scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution in order to consider his request to allow a Christian chaplain in the execution chamber, a request that was routine in hundreds of Texas executions until April 2019, when the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) changed the rules. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops filed an amicus brief in support of Gutierrez.
Fifth Circuit lifts stay of execution for Ruben Gutierrez
Late Friday night, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas’s stay of execution of Ruben Gutierrez, who seeks DNA testing of evidence pointing to his innocence. Gutierrez also is challenging Texas’s denial of a Christian chaplain’s presence during his execution, which is scheduled for Tuesday, […]
Texas Bishops support 1st Amendment Rights of Ruben Gutierrez; case pending at the Fifth Circuit
Today, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in support of death row prisoner Ruben Gutierrez. The brief calls on the Fifth Circuit to affirm the district court’s stay of execution and argues the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) must […]
TCADP June 2020 Newsletter: State of Texas scheduled to execute Ruben Gutierrez in two weeks
In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find information on the scheduled execution of Ruben Gutierrez and how you can support his application for clemency or a reprieve. You’ll also find updates on other Texas death penalty cases and the results of the 2020 Houston Area Survey, which measured record-low support for the death penalty.
TCADP May 2020 Newsletter: COVID-19 continues to impact use of death penalty in Texas
This edition of our monthly newsletter addresses the continued impact of COVID-19 on use of the death penalty and prison conditions in Texas. It also includes updates on cases involving intellectual disability claims, federal executions, and use of the death penalty worldwide.
Trial court postpones execution date for Billy Joe Wardlow
Today, April 6, 2020, the trial court granted the state’s motion to move Billy Joe Wardlow’s execution date from April 29 to July 8; it denied defense’s motion to withdraw the date. Both motions were based on the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the fourth execution scheduled by the State of Texas to be stayed or […]
March 2020 Alert: Another state abandons the death penalty
In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find information about the 22nd state to abolish the death penalty, as well as updates on significant Texas death penalty cases and coverage of the TCADP 2020 Annual Conference. We also have an issued an action alert for John Hummel, who is scheduled to be executed on March 18, 2020.