Feb. 19
TEXAS:
BOOKS: The Wrong Carlos Argues Texas Executed an Innocent Man
One of the strongest accounts pointing to the execution of a probably innocent
man in recent times concerns the case of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed in
Texas in 1989. In a forthcoming book, The Wrong Carlos: Anatomy of a Wrongful
Execution, Professor James Liebman of Columbia Law School describes his
investigation into the case, along with a team of students. The investigation
uncovered serious problems in DeLuna's case, including faulty eyewitness
testimony and the police's failure to investigate another potential suspect.
DeLuna maintained his innocence and said another man, Carlos Hernandez,
committed the crime. Hernandez and DeLuna looked so similar that their own
families mistook photos of the men for each other. Moreover, Hernandez had a
history of violent crimes like the one for which DeLuna was executed. The book
and its accompanying website provide evidence of a grave mistake with police
and witness records, trial transcripts, photographs, and more. The Wrong Carlos
will be released in July 2014 but is available for pre-order now.
(J. Liebman, The Wrong Carlos: Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution, Columbia
University Press, forthcoming July 2014).
(source: Death Penalty Information Center)
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Death penalty an option for man accused of killing Chris Kyle
The man charged with the murder of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and Chad
Littlefield can receive the death penalty, despite efforts from his lawyers in
court on Tuesday.
Eddie Ray Routh was in a Stephenville courtroom Tuesday morning for a pre-trial
hearing. Routh is accused of shooting and killing Kyle and Littlefield at a gun
range near Glen Rose last year.
Defense attorney's asked the judge to take the death penalty off the table and
life without parole, but the judge would not.
Prosecutors haven't said if they intend to seek the death penalty or not, yet.
Routh's lawyers also asked to have testimony banned from a prosecution expert
witness that Routh could be a danger in the future. The judge denied that
motion.
The court heard dozens of other routine motions, including one to suppress
statements Routh made to officers after his arrest. That motion will be carried
over to another hearing in March.
The trial is scheduled for May and Routh remains jailed on a $3 million bond.
(source: myfoxdfw.com)
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Gov. Hassan wants to hear more on death penalty repeal
Gov. Maggie Hassan said Wednesday she wants to hear from law enforcement
officials, among others, before she makes a final decision a whether to sign a
death penalty repeal bill if it reaches her desk.
Speaking with the Portsmouth Herald editorial board, Hassan said she wants to
hear from other people, especially people in law enforcement about what a
repeal would do and how it would impact them.
The bill is currently in the state Legislature.
Hassan, a Democrat from Exeter, also said that she would not support a bill
that retroactively waived the death penalty for convicted police officer
murderer Michael Addison because I don't believe a governor or a legislature
should change the decision of a jury.
Having said that, she did say that as a matter of faith and conscience, I
don't support the death penalty.
A repeal bill last week passed the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Committee by a vote of 14-3.
Hassan spoke to the editorial board on a wide range of topics, including
marijuana, casinos and gun background check legislation.
(source: Seacoastonline.com)
PENNSYLVANIA:
Teenage satanist serial killer Miranda Barbour says death penalty is too
inhumane and cruel for her; The Craigslist murderer, who says she notched up
victims on the handle of her favourite knife, begs to be spared lethal
injection
Teenage satanist serial killer Miranda Barbour has notched up as many as 100
victims, but says she should be spared the death penalty because it is too
inhumane.
The 19-year-old Craigslist murderer - who admits wiping out between 22 and 100
victims over 6 years - is now begging to be spared lethal injection because she
says execution is a cruel and inhumane punishment.
Her lawyers have filed papers saying: The criminal justice system is
fallible... subjecting inappropriate persons to the death penalty.
The self-confessed murderer claims she had a favourite knife and added notches
to the handle every time she murdered another victim found on the online
classified ad site Craigslist.
But police have not said whether they have found the knife, which would confirm
her story.
Newlywed Barbour, who is being compared to the serial killer in TV show Dexter
because she claims she only killed bad people, confessed to the staggering
death toll when she was pressed for her total number of victims.
In a prison cell confession, Barbour, arrested along with her husband, said she
