Texas Man Who Said Death Sentence Was Based On False Expert Testimony Is Executed For 1990 Killing
1 year, 4 months ago

Texas Man Who Said Death Sentence Was Based On False Expert Testimony Is Executed For 1990 Killing

Huff Post  

This booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Brent Ray Brewer. via Associated Press HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas man who said his death sentence was based on false and unscientific expert testimony was executed Thursday evening for killing a man during a robbery decades ago. Brewer’s execution came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to step in over the inmate's claims that prosecutors had relied on false and discredited expert testimony at his 2009 resentencing trial. About two hours before the scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene over the inmate's claims that prosecutors had relied on false and discredited expert testimony at his 2009 resentencing trial. Randall County District Attorney Robert Love, whose office prosecuted Brewer, denied in court documents that prosecutors presented false testimony on whether Brewer would be a future danger and suggested Coon’s testimony “was not material to the jury’s verdict.” Brewer is the seventh inmate in Texas and the 21st in the U.S. put to death this year.

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History of this topic

Court stays execution of Texas man days before he was set to die by lethal injection
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Court stays execution of Texas man days before he was set to die by lethal injection

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas appeals court on Tuesday halted the execution of a man who has spent more than 30 years on death row and had been set to die by lethal injection this week over the killings of six girls and young women found buried in the desert near El Paso. It was the second scheduled execution in …

Two Similar Cases in Texas Expose the Death Penalty as a Farce
4 months, 1 week ago

Two Similar Cases in Texas Expose the Death Penalty as a Farce

Slate  

Two Texas death cases made headlines last week; both involved a parent who was convicted of killing their 2-year old child. As law professor Lee Loevinger explained almost 50 years ago: “Neither judges nor juries, nor even lawyers in the usual situation, ever come in contact with the ‘facts’ of any case, taking ‘facts’ to mean the transactions or occurrences …

Texas attorney general issues damning statement on death row inmate as activists plead for his life
5 months ago

Texas attorney general issues damning statement on death row inmate as activists plead for his life

Daily Mail  

The Texas Attorney General has hit back at state legislators after they managed to delay the execution of a man on death row for killing his two-year-old daughter. Roberson was set to die by lethal injection following his conviction for killing his toddler daughter, Nikki Curtis, at his Palestine, Texas home. Roberson was set to die by lethal injection following …

Political divisions deepen over Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson’s innocence claim
5 months ago

Political divisions deepen over Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson’s innocence claim

Raw Story  

"Political divisions deepen over Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson’s innocence claim" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. A week after death row inmate Robert Roberson was set to die, the extraordinary quest to save his life …

As Robert Roberson’s execution neared, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stuck to silence
5 months, 1 week ago

As Robert Roberson’s execution neared, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stuck to silence

Raw Story  

In a state where the death penalty is as ingrained as cowboy boots and conservative politics, news of Robert Roberson’s death sentence broke through in Texas after the rarest of phenoms: a noisy, bipartisan effort that bypassed the governor’s office to save a man from lethal injection. “Governors at least going back to George W. Bush, in the case of …

Texas Supreme Court halts execution of man in shaken-baby case after lawmakers’ last-minute appeal
5 months, 1 week ago

Texas Supreme Court halts execution of man in shaken-baby case after lawmakers’ last-minute appeal

LA Times  

Jennifer Martin and Thomas Roberson, older brother of condemned prisoner Robert Roberson, protest outside the prison where Roberson was scheduled for execution in Huntsville, Texas. The Texas Supreme Court halted Thursday night’s scheduled execution of a man who would have become the first person in the U.S. put to death for a murder conviction tied to a diagnosis of shaken …

Texas man apologizes to victims and breaks into song as he is executed for 1989 murder of twin teenage girls
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas man apologizes to victims and breaks into song as he is executed for 1989 murder of twin teenage girls

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Evidence also indicated that White sexually assaulted Bernette, …

5 U.S. death row inmates were executed in one week, the most in decades
6 months ago

5 U.S. death row inmates were executed in one week, the most in decades

LA Times  

Death row inmates in five states have been put to death in the span of one week, an unusually high number of executions that defies a yearslong trend of decline in both the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S. Two more death row inmates, in Missouri and Texas, were pronounced dead Tuesday evening following executions, and …

Texas man who claimed intellectual disability is executed for 1997 killing of female jogger
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas man who claimed intellectual disability is executed for 1997 killing of female jogger

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas man who claimed an intellectual disability in a late attempt at a reprieve was executed Wednesday evening for the killing of a woman who was jogging near her Houston home more than 27 years ago. Hours before the scheduled execution time, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a defense request to intervene after lower courts had …

Texas man facing execution for 1998 killing of elderly woman for her money
8 months, 1 week ago

Texas man facing execution for 1998 killing of elderly woman for her money

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Gutierrez’s attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to …

Texas sets execution date for East Texas man accused in shaken baby case
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas sets execution date for East Texas man accused in shaken baby case

Associated Press  

A Texas court on Monday set an execution date for Robert Roberson, who was sentenced to death in 2003 for killing his 2-year-old daughter but has consistently challenged the conviction on the claim that it was based on questionable science. At trial, doctors testified that Nikki’s death was consistent with shaken baby syndrome — in which an infant is severely …

Texas court denies request to reconsider governor’s pardon in BLM demonstrator’s killing
9 months ago

Texas court denies request to reconsider governor’s pardon in BLM demonstrator’s killing

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas appeals court on Wednesday denied a request to consider whether to reverse Gov. Abbott, a Republican, pardoned Daniel Perry in May in the 2020 shooting death of Air Force veteran Garrett Foster at a downtown Austin demonstration, one of many nationwide at the time to protest against police violence and racial injustice following the killing …

Texas inmate facing execution for 2001 fatal shooting as his lawyers argue he's no longer a danger
9 months ago

Texas inmate facing execution for 2001 fatal shooting as his lawyers argue he's no longer a danger

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The remains of Bridget Townsend weren't found until October …

Prosecutor asks Texas court to reverse governor's pardon of man who fatally shot demonstrator
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Prosecutor asks Texas court to reverse governor's pardon of man who fatally shot demonstrator

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A prosecutor said Tuesday he …

Texas man who long claimed innocence is executed for the slayings of 2, including cousin
1 year, 1 month ago

Texas man who long claimed innocence is executed for the slayings of 2, including cousin

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas man who had long claimed his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence was executed Wednesday for fatally shooting two people, including his cousin. The Texas execution proceeded hours after Cantu’s attorney, Gena Bunn, said she would not make a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for …

Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who claimed innocence in 2000 double murder
1 year, 1 month ago

Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who claimed innocence in 2000 double murder

CNN  

Huntsville, Texas CNN — The state of Texas on Wednesday executed death row inmate Ivan Cantu, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2000 murders of his cousin and his cousin’s fiancée – though he insisted until his death that he was innocent. “And if I did, if I knew who did, you would’ve been the first to …

Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who claimed innocence in 2000 double murder
1 year, 1 month ago

Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who claimed innocence in 2000 double murder

CNN  

Huntsville, Texas CNN — The state of Texas on Wednesday executed death row inmate Ivan Cantu, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2000 murders of his cousin and his cousin’s fiancée – though he insisted until his death that he was innocent. “And if I did, if I knew who did, you would’ve been the first to …

Texas death row inmate with 40-year mental illness history ruled not competent to be executed
1 year, 6 months ago

Texas death row inmate with 40-year mental illness history ruled not competent to be executed

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — A Texas death row inmate with a long history of mental illness, and who tried to call Jesus Christ and John F. Kennedy as trial witnesses, is not competent to be executed, a federal judge ruled. He has also claimed the devil has “blinded” Texas and is using the state to kill him to stop him from preaching …

Judge denies new trial for Texas man convicted of fatally shooting a protester at a 2020 Black Lives Matter rally
1 year, 10 months ago

Judge denies new trial for Texas man convicted of fatally shooting a protester at a 2020 Black Lives Matter rally

CNN  

CNN — Amid promises from Texas’ governor to pardon an Army sergeant convicted of murdering a protester at Black Lives Matter rally, a judge rejected a request from the defendant’s legal team for a new murder trial. “Our office continues to stand by the jury’s unanimous decision to convict Daniel Perry for the murder of Garrett Foster,” Travis County District …

Judge denies new trial for Texas man convicted of fatally shooting a protester at a 2020 Black Lives Matter rally
1 year, 10 months ago

Judge denies new trial for Texas man convicted of fatally shooting a protester at a 2020 Black Lives Matter rally

CNN  

CNN — Amid promises from Texas’ governor to pardon an Army sergeant convicted of murdering a protester at Black Lives Matter rally, a judge rejected a request from the defendant’s legal team for a new murder trial. “Our office continues to stand by the jury’s unanimous decision to convict Daniel Perry for the murder of Garrett Foster,” Travis County District …

Texas executes inmate for killing 4 during drug robbery
2 years ago

Texas executes inmate for killing 4 during drug robbery

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas has executed an inmate convicted of the drug-related killings of four people more than 30 years ago, including a woman who was 9-months pregnant. Killed during the drug robbery were 32-year-old Jose Tovar; his wife’s 17-year-old son, Frank Farias; 19-year-old Jessica Quiñones, the pregnant girlfriend of another son of Rachel Tovar; and 21-year-old neighbor Audrey Brown. …

Execution delayed for death row inmate who cut out his eyes
2 years ago

Execution delayed for death row inmate who cut out his eyes

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — Next month’s scheduled execution of a Texas death row inmate, whose attorneys say gouged out both of his eyes — each a separate incident — because of severe mental illness, was delayed by a judge on Tuesday. “We are confident that when we present the evidence of Mr. Thomas’s incompetence, the court will agree that executing him would …

Man who fatally shot 3 Texas teens in 1998 faces execution
2 years, 1 month ago

Man who fatally shot 3 Texas teens in 1998 faces execution

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It had been unclear whether John Balentine’s execution, scheduled for Wednesday evening …

Execution of man convicted in killing of 3 in Texas delayed
2 years, 1 month ago

Execution of man convicted in killing of 3 in Texas delayed

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A judge has delayed next week’s scheduled execution …

Court revives claims by Texas death row inmate backed by DA
2 years, 2 months ago

Court revives claims by Texas death row inmate backed by DA

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday revived claims by a Texas inmate who has the rare support of the state prosecutor’s office that put him on death row. The justices threw out a Texas appeals court ruling that refused to grant the inmate, Areli Escobar, a new trial. But a later audit turned up problems at the lab that …

Texas executes man for killing ex-girlfriend and her son, 7
2 years, 4 months ago

Texas executes man for killing ex-girlfriend and her son, 7

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas inmate who killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son more than 17 years ago was executed on Wednesday, after courts rejected his appeals over claims of religious freedom violations and indifference to his medical needs. Barbee received a lethal injection on the same day that Arizona executed Murray Hooper for killing two people during …

Court rejects Black Texas death row inmate’s race bias claim
2 years, 5 months ago

Court rejects Black Texas death row inmate’s race bias claim

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a Black Texas death row inmate who argued he didn’t get a fair trial because jurors who convicted him objected to interracial marriage. The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the court’s order turning away the appeal from inmate Andre Thomas. “No jury deciding whether to recommend a …

Texas executes inmate who fought prayer, touch rules
2 years, 5 months ago

Texas executes inmate who fought prayer, touch rules

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas death row inmate whose case redefined the role of spiritual advisers in death chambers nationwide was executed Wednesday, despite the efforts of a district attorney to stop his lethal injection. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Ramirez, saying states must accommodate the wishes of death row inmates who want to have their faith …

Man facing death in couple’s fatal stabbing gets reprieve
3 years ago

Man facing death in couple’s fatal stabbing gets reprieve

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — A Texas inmate who was scheduled to be the first to be executed by the state this year received a reprieve from an appeals court on Thursday. Michael Dean Gonzales had been set to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday evening for fatally stabbing an elderly couple during a burglary of their West Texas home nearly 30 years …

Texas law firm agrees to review Oklahoma death penalty case
3 years, 1 month ago

Texas law firm agrees to review Oklahoma death penalty case

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — A partner with a Texas law firm said Tuesday at least 20 attorneys are prepared to review the case of an Oklahoma death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a motel owner in Oklahoma City. Stan Perry, an attorney with Houston-based ReedSmith, said his firm already has begun reviewing the …

Texas announces execution date for eldest death row inmate
3 years, 2 months ago

Texas announces execution date for eldest death row inmate

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Carl Wayne Buntion, 81, was convicted more than …

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim
3 years, 4 months ago

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A judge on Tuesday resentenced a Tennessee death row inmate to life in prison for the second time in two years, after finding the man’s trial was marred by racism during jury selection. The 2019 resentencing came after Abdur’Rahman, who is Black, petitioned to reopen his case, presenting evidence that prosecutors at his trial treated Black potential …

He Was Nearly Executed 4 Years Ago. Now A Texas Appeals Court Has Tossed His Conviction.
3 years, 5 months ago

He Was Nearly Executed 4 Years Ago. Now A Texas Appeals Court Has Tossed His Conviction.

Huff Post  

Clinton Young, shown outside death row on Oct. 1, 2017, at a prison near Livingston, Texas. At the time of Young’s trial, one of the prosecutors, Weldon Ralph Petty, was earning extra money doing legal work for state District Judge John Hyde, who was overseeing Young’s trial. courtesy of Clinton Young's defense counsel “Judicial and prosecutorial misconduct — in the …

Absent media, Texas executes inmate who killed great aunt
3 years, 10 months ago

Absent media, Texas executes inmate who killed great aunt

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas man convicted of fatally beating his 83-year-old great aunt more than two decades ago was executed Wednesday evening without media witnesses present because prison agency officials neglected to notify reporters it was time to carry out the punishment. Quintin Jones received the lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the September 1999 killing …

2nd Texas death row inmate declared intellectually disabled
4 years, 6 months ago

2nd Texas death row inmate declared intellectually disabled

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “My faith in the criminal justice system is strengthened …

Texas executed an inmate for a prison murder. His lawyers said false testimony put him on death row
5 years, 3 months ago

Texas executed an inmate for a prison murder. His lawyers said false testimony put him on death row

Salon  

Texas officials didn't dispute that prosecutors introduced false testimony at Travis Runnels’ 2005 capital murder trial in Amarillo. “As was the case in several other capital trials in which Merillat testified, the purpose of his testimony was to establish for the jury that the state prison system’s security for non-death sentenced inmates was so lax that the defendant would be …

Texas appeals court blocks inmate Rodney Reed’s execution
5 years, 4 months ago

Texas appeals court blocks inmate Rodney Reed’s execution

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — Texas’ top criminal appeals court on Friday halted the scheduled execution of inmate Rodney Reed, whose conviction is being questioned by new evidence that his supporters say raises serious doubt about his guilt. In its four-page order, the appeals court said Reed’s case should be returned to the trial court in Bastrop County so it could examine his …

Rodney Reed: Death row inmate’s lawyers file new legal bid to halt execution scheduled in days
5 years, 4 months ago

Rodney Reed: Death row inmate’s lawyers file new legal bid to halt execution scheduled in days

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Lawyers for a man …

Texas executes John William King in racist dragging death of James Byrd Jr.
5 years, 11 months ago

Texas executes John William King in racist dragging death of James Byrd Jr.

Raw Story  

It’s been more than two decades since an infamous hate crime in East Texas, where three white men were convicted of chaining a black man to the back of a pickup truck, dragging him for miles and then dumping the remains of his body in front of a church. In a last-minute appeal, King’s attorney argued that a recent U.S. …

Citing 'Racial Stereotype,' Supreme Court Says Texas Inmate Can Appeal Death Sentence
8 years, 1 month ago

Citing 'Racial Stereotype,' Supreme Court Says Texas Inmate Can Appeal Death Sentence

NPR  

Citing 'Racial Stereotype,' Supreme Court Says Texas Inmate Can Appeal Death Sentence Enlarge this image toggle caption Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP During a sentencing hearing in Texas two decades ago, a defense attorney for a man named Duane Buck called on an expert who said his client's race made it …

US: Does a man who killed no one deserve death row?
8 years, 6 months ago

US: Does a man who killed no one deserve death row?

Al Jazeera  

Jeffrey Wood’s family pleads clemency for man sentenced to death as an accomplice in a deadly 1996 robbery. Kate Black, a lawyer at the Texas Defender Service and a member of Wood’s legal team, says Wood has “very little culpability”. I mean, that’s undisputed.” ‘Dr Death’ On the afternoon of August 19, the Court of Criminal Appeals in Texas decided …

Texas halts execution of man who did not kill anyone
8 years, 7 months ago

Texas halts execution of man who did not kill anyone

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Texas courts have …

Opinion: Texas almost got away with killing an intellectually impaired man
10 years, 10 months ago

Opinion: Texas almost got away with killing an intellectually impaired man

LA Times  

In 2003, lawyers for a condemned murderer named Robert James Campbell asked the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for any information the state had on their client’s intellectual capacity. A department lawyer replied that “inmates sentenced to death receive no intellectual testing upon incarceration,” but that corrections officials had a single record from an unrelated 1990 conviction that put Campbell’s …

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Death Row Case
13 years, 4 months ago

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Death Row Case

NPR  

Supreme Court Declines Duane Buck Death Row Case The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of Texas death row inmate Duane Buck, who alleged that race played an improper role in his death sentence. of Criminal Justice/AP Four years later, Texas death row inmate Victor Saldano appealed his case to the Supreme Court, alleging that race was …

Texas Prosecutors Wait for Lethal Injection Ruling
17 years, 4 months ago

Texas Prosecutors Wait for Lethal Injection Ruling

NPR  

Texas Prosecutors Wait for Lethal Injection Ruling toggle caption Joe Raedle/Newsmakers/Getty Images A day after the Supreme Court halted a Mississippi execution, two prosecutors in the state with the nation's busiest death chamber said they will forego asking for execution dates in the short-term. Roe Wilson, who handles death penalty appeals for the Harris County District Attorney's Office in the …

Justices Side with Death-Row Inmate Claiming Racially Biased Jury
22 years, 1 month ago

Justices Side with Death-Row Inmate Claiming Racially Biased Jury

NPR  

Justices Side with Death-Row Inmate Claiming Racially Biased Jury The Supreme Court orders a new appeal for a black inmate on Texas' death row who claimed prosecutors purposely excluded blacks from the jury that sentenced him to death for murder. Some say the decision likely will now make it easier for death-row inmates in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana to get …

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