Death Penalty Hearing: Judge Kevin Fine Gets Slapped Down By Appeals Court

[kentauros]

Death Penalty Hearing: Judge Kevin Fine Gets Slapped Down By Appeals Court

By Richard Connelly, Wed., Jan. 12 2011 @ 11:01AM

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has permanently shut down district judge Kevin Fine's quixotic and headline-grabbing effort to examine the constitutionality of how Texas applies the death penalty.

In an order issued this morning, the CCA says Fine had no business conducting hearings into whether the state has executed innocent people.

Leave it to the Lege, the high court said:
These are indeed weighty public policy issues, greatly deserving of considerable debate by the appropriate people, in the appropriate forum, and at the appropriate time. They are issues that opponents of capital punishment have been raising since the mid-nineteenth century.

Certainly the Texas Legislature is an appropriate forum in which to debate these public policy issues. Footnote That is also an appropriate forum to decide whether to abolish the death penalty in Texas or to enact statutory or constitutional improvements to the current legislative system. The Legislature will be meeting in the very near future and is fully competent to address these issues.

Typical. :eyes:

[sonias]

1. Can't stand the sunshine....

Draconian protection of the corrupt death penalty system in Texas.

Very sad indeed. :(

[kentauros]

2. As I tried to figure out what to say at the end (and couldn't!)

it made me wonder what kind of Renaissance we'll have to go through in this country before we learn some compassion and let these kinds of laws fade away. Such a thing could happen in my lifetime, but I'm almost 50, so...

[sonias]

4. Illinois is on the path to end the inhumane practice

State Journal Register 1/7/11
House votes to repeal Illinois death penalty

The Illinois House approved repeal of the state’s death penalty Thursday, a decade after then-Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium on executions.

The bill passed on a 60-54 vote; it needed 60 to pass. The legislation now goes to the Illinois Senate, where it must pass before heading to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk. Quinn has said he favors the death penalty for the worst crimes.

It took two separate votes for the measure to clear the House Thursday. The legislation failed by a single vote in the afternoon, but its sponsor, Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood, used a parliamentary maneuver to allow another vote.

Randy Steidl, one of 20 exonerated death row inmates, praised the House’s actions and said he believes Quinn will change his mind.

Sometimes we have to take comfort that progress is being made. I do not believe that Texas will voluntarily abolish it. Probably has to be done at the national level. But The Innocence Project and other anti-death penalty groups are making a difference.

I too pray that I live to see a federal repeal in my lifetime.

[efhmc]

3. But does he really have any power to do this, as needed

as it truly is?