Death Penalty

Afternoon Briefs: At least 86 judges reject election claims; granddaughter of Biden joins BigLaw

At least 86 judges reject election claims At least 86 judges have rejected claims by President Donald Trump or his supporters in election lawsuits, according to a count published Dec. 12 by the Washington Post. “The dozens of opinions serve as a resounding reaffirmation of the judiciary’s nonpartisan commitment to…

Dec 14, 2020 4:39 PM CST

9th Circuit wrongly overturned death sentence, Supreme Court rules in summary decision

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday summarily reversed a federal appeals court decision on behalf of a death-row inmate who claimed that his trial lawyer was ineffective.

Dec 14, 2020 10:47 AM CST

Federal inmate is executed after Supreme Court denies stay; dissent points to hidden evidence

Federal prisoner Brandon Bernard was executed in Indiana on Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to stay his execution. Bernard apologized for his role in the deaths of two youth ministers in Texas in 1999. He was 18 at the time of the crime.

Dec 11, 2020 9:41 AM CST

DOJ rule change would allow some executions by firing squad and electrocution

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published a final rule change that would allow federal executions to be carried out in any manner allowed in the state where the death sentence was imposed.

Nov 30, 2020 2:23 PM CST

Federal inmate tried by all-white jury is executed after Supreme Court lifts execution stay

Federal death-row inmate Orlando Hall was executed Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an execution stay issued by a federal judge who said the government needed a prescription for the execution drug.

Nov 20, 2020 9:39 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: COVID-19 cited in halt to execution; ‘not qualified’ Jones Day associate confirmed to bench

Judge delays execution after lawyers contract COVID-19 U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss has delayed the federal execution of Lisa Montgomery because her lawyers contracted COVID-19 after visiting her in prison. The lawyers, Amy Harwell and Kelley Henry, “remain very ill today,” and they are unable to prepare a clemency petition,…

Nov 19, 2020 4:15 PM CST

ABA asks Trump for delays in 3 executions, including case in which the lawyers have COVID-19

The ABA has asked President Donald Trump to delay three federal executions amid “a startling surge” in cases of COVID-19, including a case in which the lawyers are sickened by the virus.

Nov 13, 2020 2:10 PM CST

Amy Coney Barrett signed 2006 ad calling for end to ‘barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade’

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett is under fire after disclosure of a 2006 ad she signed opposing “abortion on demand” and calling for an end to “the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade.”

Oct 2, 2020 12:40 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 4th Circuit rules for transgender youth; tribe objects to execution

4th Circuit rules for transgender youth on bathroom policy The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Richmond, Virginia, has ruled for former high school student Gavin Grimm, a transgender youth who wanted to use a school restroom that matched his gender identity. The 4th Circuit said the Gloucester County,…

Aug 27, 2020 4:30 PM CDT

ABC’s ‘The Last Defense,’ Monday morning quarterbacks and the practice of law

Every attorney has faced the proverbial Monday morning quarterback at some point. If you’ve never heard the term before, it usually indicates a person who critiques an event, situation or decision after the fact.

Aug 27, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: New law raises stakes for protesters; ‘Law Tigers’ sues over ‘TigerLaw’ nickname

New state camping law raises stakes for protesters Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill that makes it a felony punishable by up to six years in prison to illegally camp on state property. Convicted felons in Tennessee lose the right to vote. Critics say the law is aimed…

Aug 24, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Another ‘shadow docket’ decision? SCOTUS once again blocks relaxed election procedures

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an injunction that would have made it easier to place a measure on the ballot seeking to reform Oregon’s redistricting process.

Aug 12, 2020 9:57 AM CDT

Convicted of a crime that never occurred? It happens all too often, law prof says

We are used to hearing about wrongful convictions in which a murderer walked free because an innocent person was misidentified. But when Jessica S. Henry, a professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey, was researching material for her course on wrongful convictions, she discovered that in one-third of all known exonerations, the conviction was wrongful because there had not even been a crime.

Aug 12, 2020 9:00 AM CDT

Execution rate is 17 times greater for killers of white rather than Black victims, study says

Killers of white people are executed at a rate 17 times greater than killers of Black victims, according to a new study building on the work of a law professor who analyzed racial disparities in the Georgia death penalty.

Aug 5, 2020 10:33 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Boston Marathon bomber wins death penalty appeal; what’s in the GOP coronavirus bill?

Appeals court overturns Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence A federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston ruled Friday that the trial judge did not adequately screen jurors for potential bias. The judge “fell…

Jul 31, 2020 4:40 PM CDT