Today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider the case of Carlos Ayestas, a Honduran national who was sentenced to death in Harris County, Texas in 1997. This is the third death penalty case out of Harris County to be granted cert by the Justices in the last year. See the statement from Ayestas’ attorneys […]
U.S. Supreme Court
TCADP April 2017 Alert: Seeking clemency for Paul Storey
In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find a request for action to support clemency for Paul Storey, who is scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on April 12, 2017. The victim’s parents have appealed to state and local officials to commute his sentence to life without parole.
U.S. Supreme Court invalidates Texas’s standards on intellectual disabilities in death penalty cases
Today, March 28, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of Texas must use current medical standards for determining whether a person is intellectually disabled and therefore exempt from execution. The case – Moore v. Texas – involves Bobby James Moore, who was convicted of killing a grocery story employee during a bungled robbery […]
State of Texas executes Rolando Ruiz
The State of Texas executed Rolando Ruiz around 11:00 PM last night. The U.S. Supreme Court delayed the execution by more than four hours as it considered three final appeals. Ultimately, the Justices rejected those appeals with Justice Stephen Breyer dissenting. Justice Breyer’s dissent focused on Ruiz’s Lackey claim, arguing that his execution and more […]
U.S. Supreme Court rules that Duane Buck deserves new sentencing hearing
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas death row inmate Duane Buck is entitled to a new sentencing hearing. Buck was sentenced to death after a Houston jury heard false and unconstitutional testimony from a defense “expert” that he was more likely to be a future danger because he is black.
U.S. Supreme Court set to hear Moore v. Texas
On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court will hold oral argument in Moore v. Texas, a case that addresses Texas’s unscientific standard for determining whether a person is intellectually disabled and therefore exempt from execution. Moore v. Texas asks the Court to decide if it is unconstitutional for Texas “to prohibit the use […]
SCOTUS Likely to Find Racial Bias in Case of Duane Buck
On October 5, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments describing racial bias in the death penalty case of Duane Buck. Duane Buck was condemned to death in 1997, after his own trial attorneys inexplicably introduced testimony and a report from a psychologist, Dr. Walter Quijano, stating that Mr. Buck was more likely to be dangerous […]
TCADP July 2016 Alert: 40 years of the “modern” death penalty era
In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find observations on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Gregg v. Georgia, as well as a recap of important death penalty developments in the last month. You’ll also find information about scheduled executions and a new report on America’s deadliest prosecutors.
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