The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) has granted a stay of execution to Edward Busby based on his claim of intellectual disability. The Court’s order sends the case back to the trial court for a review on the merits. The State of Texas had been scheduled to put Busby to death on February […]
stay of execution
U.S. Supreme Court stays the execution of Ruben Gutierrez
Just an hour before he was scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas, Ruben Gutierrez received a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court. Gutierrez had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution in order to consider his request to allow a Christian chaplain in the execution chamber, a request that was […]
Federal judge grants stay of execution to Ruben Gutierrez
Update: The Texas Attorney General has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to overturn the stay. Check back for new developments. Earlier today, a federal district court judge stayed the execution of Ruben Gutierrez, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, June 16. Gutierrez seeks testing of DNA evidence collected at […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stays execution of Randall Mays
On May 7, 2020, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) granted a stay of execution to Randall Mays and remanded his intellectual disability claim to the trial court for a review on the merits. Mays was set to be put to death on May 13, 2020. It was the third execution date he has […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stays execution of Edward Busby
On April 27, 2020, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) granted a 60-day stay of execution to Edward Busby. Busby was scheduled to be put to death on May 6, 2020 for the 2004 robbery and murder of 77-year-old Laura Lee Crane in Fort Worth. This is the fourth time since mid-March that the […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stays execution of Tracy Beatty
Today, March 19, 2020, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (“CCA”) granted a 60-day stay of execution to Tracy Beatty due to the global pandemic. Beatty was scheduled to be executed on March 25, 2020. Five years ago, he received a stay from the CCA after his attorneys argued Beatty received deficient legal help at his […]
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stays the execution of John Hummel
Today, March 16, 2020, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (“CCA”) granted a 60-day stay of execution “on its own motion” to John Hummel, who was scheduled to be put to death on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. The order came about an hour after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously rejected Hummel’s application […]
Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2019: The Year in Review
The number of new death sentences and executions declined in 2019, according to a new report from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP). Texas juries rejected the death penalty in 50% of the cases presented to them this year. The cases that were scheduled for execution this year underscored persistent concerns about the fairness and accuracy of Texas’s death penalty system.