NYT: Rulings in Texas Capital Cases Try Supreme Court's Patience

[Quetzal]

Rulings in Texas Capital Cases Try Supreme Court's Patience

In the past year, the Supreme Court has heard three appeals from inmates on death row in Texas, and in each case the prosecutors and the lower courts suffered stinging reversals.

In a case to be argued on Monday, the court appears poised to deliver another rebuke.

Lawyers for a Texas death row inmate, Thomas Miller-El, will appear before the justices for the second time in two years. To legal experts, the Supreme Court's decision to hear his case yet again is a sign of its growing impatience with two of the courts that handle death penalty cases from Texas: its highest criminal court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans.

Perhaps as telling is the exasperated language in decisions this year from a Supreme Court that includes no categorical opponent of the death penalty. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in June that the Fifth Circuit was "paying lip service to principles" of appellate law in issuing death penalty rulings with "no foundation in the decisions of this court."

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Rulings in Texas Capital Cases Try Supreme Court's Patience

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Just another set of rogue, unelected judges who make law instead of interpret it. And they serve on the 5th circuit which represents Texas and Louisiana.

[VegasWolf]

1. Politicans from Texas try my patience! n/t

[George_S]

2. Bet Nancy Grace Loves It

And the Rethugs are trying to break up the 9th Circuit.

One again the red glass houses are throwing stones.

[sam sarrha]

3. probably half of the 152 executed by *ush were inocent and Murdered by *

he just didnt care and wanted to appear Tough on crime..

[goforit]

4. LOL!!!....Yep * needs to satisfy an addiction......

and what a hobby he still continues to pursue.

He just turned up the notch to Abu Gharib.

[rodeodance]

5. and a post that fits from a few days ago--The Texafication of the USA

The Texafication of the USA


http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=...

[juliagoolia]

6. Bush did not want to be involved with

that kind of 'tough' heart wrenching decision.

He is so limited in his binary on/off, black/white, for us/against us thinking, that trying to think in subjective exploratory ways baffles him beyond what most of us can imagine. Its much easier for him to say as he did about Ms. Tucker, that the law had done its job, and that God could deal with Ms Tucker. This assumption on his part is that God was the ultimate judge in all matters, and that Ms. Tucker would be sent there regardless of her faith to be judged. He believed she would either go on to Majestic Heaven or be sent to eternal burning hell. None of this was much of a bothersome concern for W, since he was not involved in the decision. He never would become involved and used the excuse that it was not his place to interfere in the courts decisions.This is a nation of laws!

Nope, no compassion there. No right to Life there. No God Given Right to Liberty and Justice. This is a simplistic ideologue. Frightening!