Death penalty may be ruled unconstitutional in Texas

[lepus]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- At a hearing scheduled for Monday, December 6, a district court in Texas will decide whether the death penalty is unconstitutional in the state based on the disproportionately high risk of wrongful convictions in Texas. This is the first time in the state's history that a court will examine the problem of innocent people being executed in a Texas capital trial.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/01/death-penalty-may-be-rule_n_790705.html

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Texas seems to be having problems with wrongfully convicting people because of improper or incompetent representation, faulty forensics, and many other reasons.

This may actually shut down the DP in Texas for a while.

[aquart]

1. I guess they figure with DeLay being prosecuted

Bad things could happen to well-connected people.

[Hawkeye-X]

6. DeLay is very, very guilty. He'll be sentenced to life in prison Dec 20th

If not, a very, very long stay there, without any chance of parole for at least 20 years.

What he did amounts to treason.

Hawkeye-X

[aggiesal]

8. My brother, who lives in Texas, ...

believes that Delay will not spend 1 night behind bars.
He feels that the convictions will be overturned on appeal
first in the Texas system, then by the federal system.

The judges (conservative ones especially) will determine that
what the BugMan did is protected Free Speech, whether the
donations came from individuals or corporations.

I hope he is wrong on all points.

[jobycom]

9. I agree with your brother, sadly. The appeals courts will free him.

He's guilty, that's not a question, but in Texas the appeals courts are elected and are stuffed with Republicans who benefitted from DeLay's crimes. They will find some technical or jurisdictional reason to overturn the conviction. I doubt DeLay is losing any sleep worrying. Texas is a banana republic more than a state. (And I live here, so I'm not Texas bashing. It's a great state once you get past the government.)

[Dr.Phool]

11. Just until Rick Perry pardons him.

[aquart]

15. And I'm just hoping his wrist is bruised from the tap.

[totodeinhere]

16. I predict that he will only get probation. And violating a campaign finance law is not tantamount

to treason. Give me a break.

[24601]

17. All the misinformed that casually toss around the "Treason" charge

are a pet peeve. I recommend all read the Constitution on this point as Treason is the only crime defined therein.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

18. Ironically collatoral damage in the war on drugs,

Since clearly these potential sentences are intended for the laundering of drug money,

[jmowreader]

19. Oh, come on dude...

Treason is waging war against the United States, or providing aid and comfort to her enemies.

Republicans are not, so far as I know, a declared enemy of the United States, although sometimes they act that way. Therefore, what DeLay did, while reprehensible and highly illegal, is not treason.

OTOH, in the 1980s Iran WAS a declared enemy of the United States.

[madmax]

2. This I've gotta see.

I didn't see it mentioned in the article but, have they broken it down to race and ethnicity with those wrongfully convicted? I'd bet most were people of color.

[Peace Patriot]

3. Good news! I hope the court does the right thing! Thanks for posting! nt

[DeadEyeDyck]

4. Texas????!!!! n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. Breaking News: Judge Kevin Fine reassigned to Mentone TX Traffic Court

In his place will serve Clayton Bigsby

[awoke_in_2003]

10. one of Chappelle's funniest skits. nt

[ProudDad]

7. K&R and

that would be too fine!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. At last

[defendandprotect]

13. This is a Medieval practice which sends the wrong message worldwide ... !!!

And which, imo, helps foster violence in America --

[Uncle Joe]

14. If one innocent person is executed by the state, that should be "disproportionately high."

No person is perfect, thus no system; including the death penalty can ever be perfect.

The state should never be guilty of murder or manslaughter and the only way to eliminate that possibility is to eliminate the death penalty.

Thanks for the thread, lepus.

[panzerfaust]

20. When Pigs Fly

Texas is Number One in Executions, and Proud of it!

[Xenotime]

21. Death Row in Texas has had in express lane for years. It's time to shut it down.