Democrats say the the decision by Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence Meyers to leave the Republican Party gives them something to build on for the 2014 elections. But GOP officials see no evidence of a sea change.
Texas Court Of Criminal Appeals
Posted in
Politics
One-Third of Criminal Appeals Court Leaving
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Cathy Cochran, Tom Price and Paul Womack confirmed that they will not run for re-election in 2014. The news sets the stage for the court’s biggest change in recent memory.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Court: Inmate Can’t Be Forcibly Medicated Ahead of Execution
In a ruling issued Wednesday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared that Steven Staley, a mentally ill death row inmate, cannot be forcibly medicated for the purpose of making him competent for execution.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
New Law Gives New Hope to Death Row Inmate
Convicted of stomping a 19-month-old baby to death, Robert Avila faces execution in January. Under a law passed this year, Avila hopes to bring to court new scientific evidence that may show the death could have been a tragic accident.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Despite Acquittal, Winfrey Struggles Outside Prison
Megan Winfrey spent six years — nearly all of the 25-year-old’s adult life — behind bars before she was acquitted of murder. She faces the colossal challenge of starting her life without compensation for the years she lost in prison.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Constitutionality of State Law Challenged in Sexual Assault Case
Attorneys presented oral arguments Wednesday at the Court of Criminal Appeals over whether Mark Fleming’s rights were violated because prosecutors didn’t have to prove he knew he was having sexual relations with a minor.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Forensic Science Commission Reviews DPS Lab Trouble
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has concluded that the potential reversal of thousands of drug convictions by the Court of Criminal Appeals is due to a DPS employee’s incompetence, but that not all of the drug samples are necessarily compromised.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
After Drug Lab Scandal, Court Continues to Reverse Convictions
The Court of Criminal Appeals continued to reverse more convictions of drug offenders on Wednesday after a former employee with a DPS crime laboratory in Houston may have fabricated the results of thousands of drug tests.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Years After Innocence Finding, Inmate Remains in Prison for 1987 Murder
A Dallas County judge in 2008 found Ben Spencer innocent of the 1987 robbery and murder for which he is serving a life sentence. The state’s highest court disagreed, though, and this month he will mark 26 years behind bars.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Acquittal Issued in Murder Case Based Largely on Scent Lineups
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday issued an acquittal in the case of Megan Winfrey, 24, who has been behind bars since 2007 in a murder case in which her conviction was based almost entirely on evidence from dog-scent lineups.
