A Mexican Mafia hit man convicted for his part in the 1998 capital murder of a San Antonio woman was executed Wednesday evening, leaving the state prison system with only enough pentobarbital for one more execution.
death penalty
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Could Sedative Be Used in Future Texas Executions?
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which is nearly out of its current lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, has stockpiled the sedative midazolam. That drug could be part of a backup execution method in Texas, but it is at the center of a legal challenge.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Rodney Reed Wins Stay of Execution
The state’s highest criminal court on Monday issued a stay of execution for Rodney Reed so new evidence can be considered that defense attorneys say proves their client’s innocence.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
With New Evidence, Lawyers Challenge Death Sentence
Lawyers for death row inmate Rodney Reed, convicted in 1998 for murdering 19-year-old Giddings cashier Stacey Stites, say new evidence proves his innocence. They’re asking courts to take another look at his case.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Member of “Texas Seven” Executed
Donald Keith Newbury, 52, who was part of the “Texas Seven” gang of prison fugitives, was executed Wednesday night for the 2000 murder of an Irving police officer.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Court Suspends Lawyer for Death Row Inmate Over Late Filing
The Court of Criminal Appeals has suspended a criminal defense lawyer, arguing that he filed motions to stop executions too late. The move is part of a ongoing feud in Texas between such lawyers and judges who rule on their claims.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
The Slow Death of the Death Penalty
Since capital punishment was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976, the cost of carrying out a death penalty trial has risen steadily.
Posted in
Politics
Roundup: Executive Orders and a Stay of Execution
This week in the Roundup: A Texas inmate with a history of schizophrenia receives a stay of execution, and Gov. Rick Perry and his successor, current Attorney General Greg Abbott, take turns addressing immigration.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Federal Appeals Court Stays Panetti’s Execution
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday halted the execution of a Texas death row inmate with a history of schizophrenia, just hours before he was to be put to death in Huntsville.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Panetti Fate in Hands of Perry, Appeals Courts
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles won’t recommend a reprieve for convicted killer Scott Panetti, leaving it up to Gov. Rick Perry to decide if he will delay Wednesday’s scheduled execution of the schizophrenic death row inmate.
