The editorial noted in the preceding post referenced the case of Bobby Woods. Yesterday afternoon, the Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected clemency in his case. Renee Feltz has posted, "Video From Death Row: Possibly Retarded Prisoner Faces Execution," at Huffington Post.
As Texas reopens its execution chamber after a Thanksgiving break, the first man set to die may be mentally retarded. A 2002 Supreme Court ruling bans the execution of mentally retarded prisoners. But after years of being represented by a discredited attorney who ruined any chance for an appeal based on his disabilities, the fate of Bobby Wayne Woods rests with the state Board of Pardons and Paroles which can recommend clemency or a reprieve to Gov. Perry. "It's a long shot at best," Woods' attorney Maurie Levin says of the clemency request, "but I think it's very important to do."
Test scores during his childhood and incarceration show Bobby Woods has an IQ that hovers at or below 70 -- the cut-off point for mental retardation. He reads at a second grade level and writes childlike letters -- many of which are photocopied and presented as evidence in his clemency request. Levin asked the board to grant a 60-day reprieve so that she can produce a videotape of Woods "to adequately present a full picture of his limitations." She has sued Texas prison officials over their refusal to allow her to record such a video herself. The Texas Observer captured Woods on tape last week during an on-camera interview, and now you can watch the video that Levin wants the clemency board to see.
Click here to see videos and the full story from The Texas Observer.
Feltz, formerly news director of Houston's KPFT, is now based in New York.
Earlier coverage of the Bobby Woods case begins with this post. Related articles are in the mental retardation category index. More on Atkins v. Virginia, the Supreme Court's 2002 ruling banning the execution of those with mental retardation, is via Oyez.
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