Categories
Gregg vs. Georgia Harris County prosecutorial misconduct

New Report Names Former Texas Prosecutor Among Top Five Deadliest Prosecutors in America

A new report from Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project identifies America’s five deadliest head prosecutors out of the thousands that have held that office in the last 40 years. It specifically names Johnny Holmes, who served as the District Attorney of Harris County, Texas from 1979 to 2000; during his tenure, his office secured at least 200 death sentences. Since 2008, by contrast, Harris County juries have sent an average of one person to death row each year.

Categories
innocence Kerry Max Cook

Prosecutors drop charges against Kerry Max Cook in 40-year-old case

Today, in an astounding turn of events, prosecutors in Smith County dropped capital murder charges against Kerry Max Cook, in light of new evidence that severely undermined their case against him. Cook spent 20 years on death row in Texas.

Categories
Anthony Graves TCADP Annual Conference

State Bar of Texas upholds disbarment of prosecutor responsible for wrongful conviction of Anthony Graves

The State Bar of Texas recently upheld its decision to disbar Charles Sebesta, the prosecutor responsible for the wrongful conviction of Anthony Graves. Graves spent 18 years in prison, including 12 years on Texas’ death row, and faced 2 execution dates as an innocent man. Since his exoneration in October 2010, he has served as a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform.

Categories
Stay of execution Texas. Court of Criminal Appeals

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals grants stay of execution to Julius Murphy

Late today the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution to Julius Murphy, pending further order from the court.  Murphy was scheduled to be executed on November 3 for […]

Categories
exoneration Harris County

13th death row exoneration in Texas: Alfred Dewayne Brown released after Harris County District Attorney dismisses charges

Yesterday, Alfred Dewayne Brown became the 13th person in Texas and the 154th nationwide to be released from death row due to evidence of his wrongful conviction. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the capital murder charges against him after determining there was not enough evidence to re-try him for two murders that took place at a cash-checking business in Houston in 2003.

Categories
Anthony Graves Texas Wrongfully Convicted

State Bar of Texas to Consider Allegations of Prosecutorial Misconduct in Case of Anthony Graves

The Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the State Bar of Texas has made a “just cause” determination with respect to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct against former Burleson County District Attorney Charles J. Sebesta, Jr. in his prosecution of Anthony Graves in 1994. As a result of Sebesta’s misconduct, Graves spent 18½ years of his life in prison, more than 12½ years of that on death row, for a crime he did not commit and of which he was later completely exonerated by honest prosecutors.

Categories
Cameron Todd Willingham death penalty Innocence Project wrongful execution

Cameron Todd Willingham’s Surviving Relatives, Joined by Exoneree Michael Morton, Request Posthumous Pardon Investigation

REPOST of Press Release from the Innocence Project:  Newly Discovered Evidence Points to Possible False Testimony at Willingham’s Trial and Possible Prosecutorial Misconduct that May Have Contributed to His Wrongful Execution […]