Texas Ruling Signals Indefinite Halt of Executions

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Spartanberg Herald-Journal

Texas Ruling Signals Indefinite Halt of Executions

RALPH BLUMENTHAL
Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2007

HOUSTON, Oct. 2 — Signaling an indefinite halt to executions in Texas, the state’s highest criminal appeals court late Tuesday stayed the lethal injection of a 28-year-old Honduran man who was scheduled to be put to death Wednesday.

The reprieve by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was granted a week after the United States Supreme Court agreed to consider whether a form of lethal injection constituted cruel and unusual punishment barred under the Eighth Amendment. On Thursday, the Supreme Court stepped in to halt a planned execution in Texas at the last minute, and though many legal experts interpreted that as a signal for all states to wait for a final ruling on lethal injection before any further executions, Texas officials said they planned to move ahead with more.

As a result, Tuesday’s ruling by the Texas court was seen as a sign that judges in the nation’s leading death penalty state were taking guidance from the Supreme Court and putting off imminent executions.
(snip)

Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School, called the latest stay in Texas significant. “I do think Texas is reaching a turning point,” Ms. Denno said. “It’s not unusual throughout the country, but it is unusual in Texas. And not uncommonly when people are talking about the death penalty, there’s Texas and everywhere else, because Texas seems to be in its own death penalty world.”


Read more: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20071003/ZNYT02/710030350/1051/news

[varkam]

1. Sanity in the Texas criminal justice system?

Perish the thought :evilgrin:

[Gman]

2. Gotta give the Tx Court of Criminal Appeals some credit here

although dominated by Republics. They were blasted several years ago from all directions for shoddy decisions that upheld the death penalty in many situations. They were overruled by the SCOTUS a few times too. Since then, they've moderated from the RW line and show more sanity.

[grytpype]

3. Well, they just have more people that need killin down there.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. In other news: Viagra Sales to skyrocket in Texas

I can't think of anything that will upset the angry white assholes of Texas more than this, they really get off on it.

[Jaap]

5. Great news..

..and I directly posted this article to a Texas Republican Blog I sometimes visit (to remind me, and to let them know not every one agrees with them.)