Last night, Wednesday, September 26, the State of Texas executed Troy Clark for the 1998 murder of Christina Muse in Tyler (Smith County). Clark maintained his innocence until the very end. Smith County accounts for 13 executions since 1982. It was the first of two consecutive executions scheduled this week in Texas. Tonight, Thursday, September 27, Daniel Acker […]
U.S. Supreme Court
TCADP December 2017 Alert: The gift of justice
In this edition of our monthly alert, you’ll find information about the most recent stay of execution granted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, as well as announcements related to the TCADP 2018 Annual Conference and coverage of a potential U.S. Supreme Court hearing questioning the constitutionality of the death penalty.
U.S. Supreme Court considers Texas death penalty case of Carlos Ayestas
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Ayesta v. Davis. Carlos Ayestas is a Honduran national who was sentenced to death in Harris County in 1997 for his role in the 1995 murder of 67-year-old Santiaga Paneque during an apparent robbery. During his original trial, Ayestas’ attorneys failed to […]
U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Davila v. Davis
Yesterday, June 19, 2017, on the final day of its October 2016 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Davila v. Davis, a Texas death penalty case. The Justices ruled 5-4 against Davila, finding that the Constitution does not guarantee the right to counsel in post-conviction proceedings, let alone effective assistance of counsel. According […]
Death sentences reduced to life due to intellectual disabilities
Two men have been removed from death row in Texas in recent weeks based on evidence of their intellectual disabilities. The commutations stem from the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Moore v. Texas, which requires the state to use current medical standards in assessing intellectual disabilities.
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