The Supreme Court order in Haynes v. Thaler is available in Adobe .pdf format.
"Houston cop killer Haynes granted stay of execution," is Allan Turner's report for the Houston Chronicle.
The high court agreed to consider a review of his case about 3:30 p.m. about 2 ½ hours before Haynes was to be put to death.
Earlier, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and a federal court had rejected the killer's appeals, which essentially said Haynes' previous lawyers had provided inadequate representation.
In his petitions, Haynes' current lawyer Richard Ellis said the earlier attorneys failed to thoroughly research the case, and had handled the punishment phase of the trial as an "afterthought." Friends and relatives who would have testified to Haynes' good character were not allowed to tell their stories to jurors, Ellis said.
Should the high court review Haynes' case, it will also consider whether claims such as his can be considered in federal courts when they have not been heard in state courts. Haynes' claims of insufficient counsel were not heard in state courts because they were not presented in a timely manner mandated by Texas law.
High court justices later this month will consider reviewing a case where the arguments mirror Haynes'. The court in August stayed the execution of Amarillo triple-killer John Balentine.
"Supreme Court stops execution of Houston cop killer," is the AP report, via the Longview News-Journal.
Haynes’ trial lawyers showed “virtual abdication of their duty” by failing to more fully investigate and present evidence of Haynes’ good character to jurors who were deciding his punishment, his appeals attorney, A. Richard Ellis, told the high court in his appeal.
"Supreme Court halts Texas execution of police killer," by Corrie MacLaggan for Reuters. It's via the Chicago Tribune.
Earlier coverage of Anthony Haynes' case begins at the link.
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