Death Penalty

Weekly Briefs: ABA supports marriage equality law; Stanford offers new model for legal ed loans

ABA president calls on Senate to support Respect for Marriage Act ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross is calling on members of the U.S. Senate to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed with significant bipartisan support in July. In a letter sent to senators…

Sep 16, 2022 3:03 PM CDT

Federal judge orders district attorney to write apology letters to families of murder victims

Updated: A federal judge has ordered Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to write apology letters to the families of the victims of a double murder after concluding that supervisors in his office made misleading statements to the court.

Sep 14, 2022 12:06 PM CDT

ABA urges Supreme Court to hear case of inmate convicted based on faulty DNA evidence

The ABA is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of a Texas death row inmate who was convicted based on DNA evidence deemed to be “false, misleading and unreliable” by a state habeas court.

Aug 1, 2022 8:38 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Jan. 6 panel subpoenas ex-White House counsel; former Judge Alex Kozinski represents Trump

Ex-White House counsel subpoenaed by Jan. 6 panel Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed to testify before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The subpoena follows testimony by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson claiming that Cipollone had warned of being…

Jul 8, 2022 11:32 AM CDT

ABA project seeks more pro bono attorneys in wake of Supreme Court death penalty decision

The Death Penalty Representation Project offers varying opportunities for mid- to large-size firms, small firms and solo practitioners. Its staff is actively recruiting pro bono attorneys for about two dozen cases at any given time and will hire law students and undergraduate students for semester-long internships throughout the year.

Jul 6, 2022 3:14 PM CDT

SCOTUS rules against death row inmate seeking neurological test to show ineffective lawyering

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Tuesday that a federal court can’t order a state to transport a death row inmate to a medical facility for testing without a showing that the information sought would be useful in the prisoner’s habeas case.

Jun 21, 2022 2:38 PM CDT

Reed Smith’s pro bono report expresses ‘grave’ concerns about death row inmate’s conviction

A lawyer for an Oklahoma inmate plans to seek a stay of execution after Reed Smith released a report on its independent investigation of the case, undertaken pro bono at the request of a bipartisan group of more than 30 state lawmakers.

Jun 17, 2022 10:57 AM CDT

Sotomayor argues Texas court defied SCOTUS ruling in ineffective counsel case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear the case of a death row inmate who successfully argued two years ago that he received ineffective assistance of counsel.

Jun 13, 2022 1:16 PM CDT

Matters of Life and Death: ABA advocacy helps ensure constitutional protections in capital cases

Death penalty cases are difficult. The crimes are often shocking, and justice for the victims and their families is always a concern. The ABA does not take a position on the morality or constitutionality of the death penalty. But it is committed to ensuring capital punishment is applied in a fair, unbiased and accurate manner, including engaging with governments to ensure due process.

Jun 1, 2022 12:20 AM CDT

Supreme Court decision is an impediment for defendants who ‘lost the lawyer lottery twice’

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Arizona habeas defendants who claim that their trial and postconviction counsel were ineffective can’t introduce evidence outside the state-court record to prove that their first lawyer botched the case.

May 23, 2022 12:16 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: SCOTUS will hear inmate’s appeal of DNA testing; prosecutor accidentally shoots himself

Supreme Court will hear death row inmate’s DNA test bid The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the case of a Texas death row inmate who said DNA testing would establish his innocence. After inmate Rodney Reed lost a bid in state court to obtain the test, he…

Apr 29, 2022 12:31 PM CDT

Execution stayed for Texas woman who confessed in toddler’s death after 100 denials

The top criminal court in Texas has stayed the execution of Melissa Elizabeth Lucio, who confessed to the murder of her 2-year-old daughter after repeated denials during an hourslong interrogation.

Apr 25, 2022 3:26 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Prof gets $400K settlement in pronoun case; panic-attack firing leads to $450K verdict

Prof who refused to use preferred pronouns gets $400K settlement Shawnee State University in Ohio has agreed to pay philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether $400,000 and to rescind a written warning that he received for refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. The settlement was reached more than a year…

Apr 22, 2022 2:23 PM CDT

SCOTUS should not restrict counsel’s investigations in death penalty cases, ABA says

In an amicus brief filed Monday, the ABA urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reaffirm that counsel representing habeas petitioners should be able to investigate new evidence without first proving that the evidence will provide relief to their clients.

Apr 5, 2022 9:34 AM CDT

Oklahoma seeks death penalty against former lawyer and client in triple murder

Prosecutors in Oklahoma are seeking the death penalty against a former criminal defense lawyer and her former client for allegedly murdering three people.

Apr 4, 2022 4:18 PM CDT