Texas: Prison Officials Stop Execution

By Charlie Brett
13:36, June 18th 2008
75 votes
Vote this story

Tuesday night, Charles Dean Hood, from Texas, should have been executed, but he got lucky, as prison officials stopped the execution.

The ex club bouncer was convicted almost 20 years of killing Ronald Williamson and Tracie Lynn Wallace and he was supposed to be executed Tuesday night. According to The Associated Press, Hood won a reprieve on the day he had to be executed, but later he was heading to the death chamber, as the Supreme Court rejected three appeals. It was little over 11 p.m. when prison officials realized that they couldn’t make all the arrangements before the midnight deadline.

Then, Gov. Rick Perry issued a 30-day reprieve.

Apparently State District Judge Curt Henderson lifted the death warrant. This decision made the prosecutors appeal and The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals revoked the order because Henderson didn’t have the authority to make such a decision.

According to The New York Times, Hood’s lawyers accused the judge who was on the case of being involved in a romantic relationship with the lead prosecutor. This happened in 1990, during Hood’s trial. After some time, the judge recused himself from the case, but didn’t give a reason. A new judge was assigned.

Hood’s lawyers went from one appeal to another and the prosecutors said that they were just trying to win some time.

Expressing his opinion regarding the death penalty, Lawrence J. Fox, a lawyer and professor of judicial ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, said that “these proceedings” were “susceptible to human error” and officials should think if the death penalty was really the best solution.

Hood would have been Texas’ 407th executed person. He remained in Huntsville.



© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia
dotclear

Other News in

Soldiers Wounded By Communist Rebels In The Southern Philippines

Davao City, Philippines - Four soldiers facing communist rebels in the southern Philippines were wounded earlier today. Major Randolph Cabangbang said the victims were pursuing fleeing communist...

US In Year-Long Recession, Top Economic Arbiter Declares

Washington - The United States has been in a recession since December 2007, the country's official arbiter of economic growth said Monday, confirming the long-held views of many economists as the...

Bamyan Entices Visitors Beyond The Buddhas

Bamyan, Afghanistan - After three decades of conflict and persecution capped by one of history's most heinous acts of vandalism, Bamyan in central Afghanistan, is sprucing itself up for the more...

Aboriginal Counterpoint To The Sydney Opera House

Sydney - Tourists asked what they want from a holiday in Australia usually bang on about native animals and wide open spaces, the Sydney Opera House and a glimpse into the life of the original...

Atonement At Last For Son Who Bled His Family

Sydney - Jeffrey Gilham got on with his life after pleading guilty in 1993 to avenging the slaying of his parents by stabbing his brother to death. He finished his engineering degree, landed a...

dotclear
Latest videos in World
India siege turns political
Kim Jong-il enjoys day at the...
U.S. Ship Rebuffs Pirates
India Ignored Attack Warnings
North Korea Releases New Kim...

dotclear
World You are here: World
» World   » Business   » U.S.   
E-mail To A Friend Print RSS Text size: Decrease font size Increase font size
dotclear
dotclear
dotclear
Most Popular in World
World AIDS Day - A Reminder That HIV Has Not Gone AwayWorld AIDS Day - A Reminder That HIV Has Not Gone Away

» read full story
dotclear

Interested In This Topic?

News Alert will keep you informed. Find out more.
dotclear
Photos Gallery
dotclear
Today's Latest News
Brad Pitt Discusses Marriage, Kids And MoreBrad Pitt Discusses Marriage, Kids And More

» read full story
dotclear