Identifying and Advocating Best Practices in the Criminal Justice System. A Texas-Centric Examination of Current Conditions, Reform Initiatives, and Emerging Issues with a Special Emphasis on Capital Punishment.
The Capital Punishment Center’s symposium, “Mass Incarceration and the Death Penalty,” will provide a rare opportunity for scholars, lawyers, and interested members of the public to engage in an extended dialogue about some of the most pressing, nuanced, and timely criminal justice issues in a setting that is both rigorous and relaxed. Thanks to the generosity of the Center’s sponsors, the symposium is free and open to the public. Please join us on March 22-23, 2013 in the Law School’s Eidman Courtroom.
I hear from readers who appreciate the left-column webrolls. Some even make it to the last group, Diversions.
I'm adding a new site today; Travels with Sam. My long-time friend, Austin attorney-mediator Sam Graham is a Fulbright Scholar this year, teaching at the Academy of Law, Odessa in the Ukraine. He's been teaching there and in Russia for several years, and the stories he brings back are fascinating. I'm looking forward to hearing them in real-time on his brand new blog.
TDS has announced that it will also be holding a fundraising reception in Austin on May 30 to recognize the new Chair of the TDS Board of Directors, Jordan Steiker; founder of TDS' Trial Project, John Niland; and, TDS' new Executive Director, Kathryn Kase. To be a sponsor, or for more information, contact Rebecca Bernhardt.
There is a great deal of commentary and reporting following the Connecticut General Assembly Votes to repeal the state's death penalty. I'm going to break coverage into several posts. First, editorials and commentary; Gov. Malloy's comments following the votes; the impact of crime victims in pushing repeal, and; other Connecticut follow-up coverage.
I'll be traveling to Waco today to attend the memorial service for Bernard Rapoport, known universally as B.
Among everything else he did in an oversized life, he was a devoted, dogged supporter of the Texas Observer, a lighthouse of Texas journalism since 1954:
We want to make sure that everyone in the Observer community knows that the public memorial for B is tomorrow (Wednesday, April 11) at noon in Waco. The memorial will take place at the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas, located at 715 Columbus Ave. in Waco. All are welcome.
There is a great deal of weekend coverage to catch up on, including many reflections on the Connecticut Senate vote to abolish the state's death penalty. A vote by the Connecticut House of Representatives is expected this week.
There are also news reports of studies in Kentucky and Nevada, and developments in highly-watched cases.
Though there are several other items to post, but I'm leaving the office to attend what looks to be an excellent symposium at UT Law, "Lynching and the Death Penalty."
I'll be out of the office this morning. Posts will resume after lunch. Take this opportunity to visit the Daily Must Reads and other sites in the left-column webroll.
The Humberto Leal is white-hot in media coverage. It's getting attention from editorial writers and bloggers in addition to news coverage. That coverage will occupy the next several posts.
Leal is scheduled to be executed, shortly after 6:00 pm, tonight in Huntsville. To date, Texas has carried out six executions in 2011; there have been 25 executions in the nation this year.
Houston's KPFT-FM will host Execution Watch on the web and it's HD radio broadcast signal beginning at 6:00 p.m. (CDT), tonight.
It's a return travel day, today. Look for lots of updating, tomorrow. Follow developments on the Humberto Leal case at the link. His execution is scheduled for tomorrow evening in Texas, despite international calls for a stay. A petition is at the U.S. Supreme Court, at this time. Any order issued by the Court would be posted.
The StandDown Texas Project was organized in 2000 to advocate a moratorium on executions and a state-sponsored review of Texas' application of the death penalty.
To stand down is to go off duty temporarily, especially to review safety procedures.
Steve Hall
Project Director Steve Hall was chief of staff to the Attorney General of Texas from 1983-1991; he was an administrator of the Texas Resource Center from 1993-1995. He has worked for the U.S. Congress and several Texas legislators. Hall is a former journalist.