Texas man's death ruling overturned

[question everything]

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court, normally bitterly divided on capital punishment cases, was unanimous yesterday in saying a Texas death row inmate who came within minutes of execution should get another chance to appeal his murder conviction.

The court lifted the death sentence, which was imposed on Delma Banks more than two decades ago, and delivered a strong rebuke of Texas officials and lower courts.

Banks was denied a fair trial because prosecutors failed to disclose key information that might have helped Banks' case, the court said.

(snip)

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter and Stephen Breyer fully agreed with Ginsburg and voted to lift the death sentence.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia did not vote to overturn Banks' sentence but did vote to give him another chance to appeal his conviction for killing a 16-year-old former co-worker at a fast food restaurant in 1980.

(snip)

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040225/news_1n25scotus.html

[northofdenali]

1. Take THAT, Texas Repukes!

n/t

[DemoTex]

2. Thanks Rehnquist, Stevens, O'Conner, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsberg, &Breyer.

SOS from the most extreme justices in history, Clarence "Porn-Site" Thomas and Tony "The Fix" Scalia.

[sonias]

3. The Texas justice system is the most perverse in the country

Especially when it comes to capital punishment. I am convinced that we have killed innocent people in Texas through executions. The good old boy system of prosecutors and horrible indigent legal support just makes for a bad recipe for justice. Especially if you are black. This is the south after all and racism is still very alive.

The case against Delma Banks is so fraught with errors that even the pro-death penalty group had the three escapees in Rehnquist, O'Conner and Kennedy. Delma has lived to fight another day for justice.

Here are some good resources for criminal justice reform on the death penalty in Texas
http://www.standdown.org
http://www.texasmoratorium.org


Sonia

[question everything]

6. Shortly after Jeb took Florida,

I remember reading that a "delegation" from Florida went to Texas to learn how to kill people in a more efficient way. And I then wondered of whether Barbara and George Bush were proud of THAT legacy.

Since then I've read about Barbara Bush in Al Franken's book and she certainly is not a nice person.

[sonias]

8. babs is a bitch

But you will remember from the Al Franken book bu$h is just like his momma, a vindictive s.o.b.

Sonia

[Fridays Child]

4. Has Thomas EVER strayed from Scalia's side? Ever?

I can't think of a single time.

[sonias]

5. Nope

Most of us are convinced that they are virtual Siamese twins sharing a single brain. We should just rename the unit something like

Scalthomas, Scaliaomas or something similar.

Sonia

[murielm99]

7. Scaliaomas sounds better.

It sounds like a disease...which it is.