In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find information about a slew of virtual events this month, including two TCADP webinars on “future dangerousness.” We also share findings from an important new report on race and the death penalty and updates on the cases of two men who will be removed from death row based on evidence of intellectual disability.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
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.
COVID-19 and the Death Penalty
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting use of the death penalty and individuals on death row in Texas. In this blog post, you’ll find an update on recent developments as well as actions you can take (from home) in support. Recent death penalty developments Two men were scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturns death sentence of Cesar Fierro, nearly 40 years after his conviction
On December 18, 2019, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) overturned the death sentence of Cesar Fierro, who has spent nearly 40 years on death row. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1980 by an El Paso jury for the shooting death of Nicolas Castanon, a crime he claims he did not […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejects recommendation of relief for Paul Storey
Today, a majority of judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) rejected a trial judge’s recommendation that Paul Storey’s death sentence be commuted to life in prison after he found prosecutors had presented false evidence and withheld evidence from the defense. Storey was sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of Jonas […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stays execution of Stephen Barbee
On Monday, September 23, 2019, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) stopped the execution of Stephen Barbee in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McCoy v. Louisiana (2018). The Justices ruled in McCoy that “a defendant has the right to insist that counsel refrain from admitting guilt, even when counsel’s experience-based view is that confessing […]
Widespread support for new legal proceedings for Randy Halprin, who is scheduled for execution on October 10
More than 100 Jewish attorneys, the American Jewish Committee, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism have filed an amicus brief with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in support of a new trial for Randy Halprin. Halprin is scheduled to be executed on October 10, 2019, despite the fact that no court has considered the impact of the judge’s anti-Semitic prejudice against him during his 2003 trial.
Divided Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denies stay of execution for John King
Yesterday, Monday, April 22, 2019, a divided Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) denied John William King’s application for a writ of habeas corpus and motion for a stay of execution based on a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously rejected his application for clemency and a 120-day […]
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