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amnesty international capital punishment death penalty executions world death penalty figures

Amnesty International Releases Annual Global Report on the Death Penalty

Earlier this month, Amnesty International released its annual global report, “Death Sentences and Executions 2015.” As the name indicates, the report covers the judicial use of the death penalty throughout […]

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incompetency Marcus Druery severe mental illness

Marcus Druery deemed incompetent for execution

A Brazos County judge recently deemed that Marcus Druery is incompetent to be executed due to evidence of his severe mental illness, which prevents him from understanding why he is being punished. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Druery a stay just days before his scheduled execution on August 1, 2012 and later ordered a competency hearing.

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execution Texas

State of Texas scheduled to execute Pablo Vasquez

Tonight, the State of Texas is scheduled to execute Pablo Vasquez . He was convicted of killing 12-year-old David Cardenas in 1998 in Donna, Texas (Hidalgo County). Vasquez was 20 […]

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Amplify Austin execution Sister Helen Prejean Texas death penalty

TCADP April 2016 Alert: Springing into Action

In this edition of our monthly e-newsletter, you’ll find information about upcoming events featuring Sister Helen Prejean at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. You’ll also find links to recent stories about racial bias in the jury selection process and the regrets of a juror in a capital murder trial in Texas that sentenced a man to death.

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Stay of execution

Federal appeals court stays the execution of John Battaglia

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a stay of execution to John Battaglia, who was scheduled to be put to death tonight for the 2001 murders of […]

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execution

State of Texas executes Adam Ward

“I feel it.”  Those were the last words of Adam Ward, who was put to death by the State of Texas last night after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his […]

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execution mental illness

State of Texas scheduled to execute Adam Ward

*Update* The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Adam Ward’s appeal for a stay of execution based on evidence of his severe mental illness. Tonight, the State of Texas is scheduled […]

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El Paso forensic science

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 […]