(UPDATED) Hispanic prisoner executed in Texas instead of given life term because of skin color.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Gov. Rick Perry says he loses no sleep over the possibility that some of the 230-odd executions occurring during his watch may include innocent people.

The guilt of the man next in line was not in doubt. However, faulty testimony from an expert witness gave a jury the impression that black and hispanic people are more dangerous because of their skin color therefore swaying a jury to render a death sentence over life.

A number of other cases have had their death sentences converted to life imprisonment over this same issue. This case however, fell between the cracks and didn’t get done. Perry has not moved on the matter as of this writing. [This inmate has has since been executed, see below.]

UPDATE from CNN:

“. . . Steven Michael Woods Jr. was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m., 10 minutes after the lethal injection dose began, said Michelle Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. . . .”

“. . . U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who was the state’s attorney general in 2000, when he spoke of seven death row inmates, including Buck. Cornyn said he believed the inmates had been unfairly sentenced to death based on testimony that was racially tainted by psychologist Walter Quijano, who repeatedly told juries that black or Hispanic defendants were more likely to commit future crimes. . . .”

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/09/13/texas.executions/



Categories: Everything else

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2 replies

  1. Sorry for the fractured post — events moved faster than I could keep up!

Trackbacks

  1. U.S. Supreme Court tells Texas Gov. Rick Perry to halt execution « The Guerrilla Angel Report by Lexie Cannes

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