A Texas state lawmaker has launched laws to eradicate the demise penalty within the state amid a high-profile demise row case presently unfolding.
Democrat state Rep. John Bucy III filed the invoice for the upcoming legislative session.
“I believe I have been against the demise penalty my entire life as I’ve considered its use, and will it exist in our society,” Bucy mentioned, based on Fox 7.
“Financially, should you simply need to take a look at it economically, we spend more cash to execute than to maintain somebody in jail, so it is actually a lose-lose state of affairs with a excessive danger stake if we get it improper,” he continued.
TEXAS DEATH ROW INMATE’S LAWYER SAYS ‘THERE WAS NO CRIME’ AS SHE MAKES LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO SAVE HIS LIFE
Photograph reveals the gurney within the execution chamber on the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. (AP Photograph/Sue Ogrocki, File)
This comes after the Texas Supreme Court docket cleared the best way final week for the state to schedule a brand new execution date for inmate Robert Roberson, whose preliminary execution was delayed final month.
Roberson is presently on demise row over his conviction during which prosecutors say he killed his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, by shaking her to demise, referred to as shaken child syndrome. However his legal professionals say Nikki really died from different well being points reminiscent of pneumonia and that new proof proves his innocence. His legal professionals additionally mentioned medical doctors had didn’t rule out these different medical explanations for the kid’s signs.
Roberson was scheduled to be put to demise on Oct. 17 earlier than the state Supreme Court docket issued a keep to delay his execution shortly earlier than it was set to happen.Â
If he’s put to demise, he can be the primary particular person within the U.S. to be executed in a case based mostly on shaken child syndrome.
Greater than 80 Texas state lawmakers, in addition to the detective who helped the prosecution, medical consultants, parental rights teams, human rights teams, bestselling novelist John Grisham and different advocates have referred to as for the state to grant Roberson clemency over the assumption that he’s harmless. A gaggle of state lawmakers have additionally visited Roberson in jail to encourage him.
“I really feel like I’ve gotten extra engaged with this Robert Roberson case and needed to make it possible for we’re persevering with this dialog in regards to the lack of humanity tied to the demise penalty,” Bucy mentioned.
Texas lawmakers meet with Robert Roberson at a jail in Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024. (Felony Justice Reform Caucus by way of AP)
Texas has executed almost 600 folks since 1982, based on Texas Coalition to Abolish The Loss of life Penalty government director Kristin Houle Cuellar.
“Which is way over every other state within the nation,” Houle Cuellar advised Fox 7. “We have now fairly a status in the case of the usage of the demise penalty in Texas.”
Houle Cuellar mentioned that there have been fewer demise sentences within the state within the final decade, which she partially attributes to the introduction in 2005 of life with out parole.
“Prosecutors have used that discretion in opting to not search the demise penalty,” Houle Cuellar mentioned. “Even in about 30 % of the circumstances that they’ve taken to trial the place they’ve sought the demise penalty, jurors have rejected it.”
Houle Cuellar mentioned that Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Bexar counties lead the state in demise sentences and greater than half of all Texas counties have by no means issued a demise sentence.
Since 2007, a number of Texas lawmakers have unsuccessfully sought to abolish the demise penalty. However Bucy says there’s now sufficient momentum relating to the problem to reintroduce laws to eradicate the observe.
TEXAS JUDGE GRANTS INJUNCTION AHEAD OF MAN’S EXECUTION IN ‘SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME’ CASE
The execution mattress sits empty on Loss of life Row on April 25, 1997 at Texas Loss of life Row in Huntsville, Texas. (Getty Photographs)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Whereas it is an uphill battle to finish the demise penalty in Texas, we have seen the variety of executions go down,” he mentioned. “I believe sentiment is altering, and I additionally suppose as we see these particular circumstances come to life, and we begin studying the precise tales, persons are going to get an increasing number of involved about the potential for getting it improper.”
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and state Rep. Joe Moody, each Democrats, have filed related payments to abolish the demise penalty, which can have to be voted on by fellow lawmakers when the legislative session begins early subsequent 12 months.
In one other Texas demise row case, a choose discovered final month that Melissa Lucio was harmless within the 2007 demise of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. Senior State District Choose Arturo Nelson beneficial that Lucio’s conviction and demise sentence be overturned. The choose additionally discovered that prosecutors suppressed proof and testimony, together with statements from Lucio’s different kids, that would help the declare that she was not abusive and that Mariah’s demise was unintended from falling down the steps.
