Wednesday 17 March 2010

CCA Rejects Hank Skinner Habeas Petition



The Court of Criminal Appeals Order is here.

Rob Owen of the University Of Texas School of Law Capital Punishment Center issued the following statement:

"Today, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to intervene in Mr. Skinner’s case (see attached Order). As a result, because state officials continue to refuse to conduct readily available DNA testing on evidence from the crime scene that could clear him, there remains a serious risk that Texas, one week from today, will execute an innocent man.

"We remain hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court, which has often found it necessary to correct egregious injustices in Texas capital cases, will intervene to protect Mr. Skinner’s right to pursue that DNA testing in federal court. We also trust that Governor Perry, having heard the voices of Texans insisting that the death penalty not be carried out while there are unresolved doubts about a defendant’s guilt, will do the right thing and postpone Mr. Skinner's execution until all the facts are in.


"Time is growing short, and ultimately someone must have the courage and the common sense to step forward and ensure the reliability of this verdict through the best available scientific technology."

AP's Michael Graczyk posts, "Convicted killer of 3 in Texas loses bid for execution delay," via the Houston Chronicle.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to halt the scheduled execution next week of a man convicted of a triple slaying in Pampa in the Texas Panhandle more than 16 years ago.

The state's highest criminal court Wednesday denied a request from 47-year-old Hank Skinner to stop his lethal injection, set for March 24 in Huntsville.

And:

Skinner and his attorneys want additional time to test evidence for DNA they say could prove he's not the killer.

Earlier coverage of the Hank Skinner case begins with this post.

Source(standdown.typepad.com)

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