Death Penalty

Execution rate is 17 times greater for killers of white rather than Black victims, study says

Killers of white people are executed at a rate 17 times greater than killers of Black victims, according to a new study building on the work of a law professor who analyzed racial disparities in the Georgia death penalty.

Aug 5, 2020 10:33 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Boston Marathon bomber wins death penalty appeal; what’s in the GOP coronavirus bill?

Appeals court overturns Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence A federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston ruled Friday that the trial judge did not adequately screen jurors for potential bias. The judge “fell…

Jul 31, 2020 4:40 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: TRO to stop court reopening is denied; third federal inmate is executed

Judge rejects TRO in suit to stop court reopening U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. refused to issue on Friday a temporary restraining order preventing in-court appearances in nonemergency criminal matters in New York City. Carter will host a telephone hearing July 21 to discuss a request for a preliminary…

Jul 20, 2020 4:58 PM CDT

Second federal execution since 2003 is carried out after Supreme Court lifts injunctions

Federal inmate Wesley Ira Purkey was executed Thursday morning after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted two injunctions issued by a judge who cited competency issues.

Jul 16, 2020 10:30 AM CDT

US conducts first federal execution since 2003 after Supreme Court vacates injunction

Federal inmate Daniel Lewis Lee died by lethal injection on Tuesday morning in the first federal execution since 2003.

Jul 14, 2020 9:20 AM CDT

Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to new federal death penalty procedure

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to the federal government’s new lethal injection procedure.

Jun 29, 2020 11:20 AM CDT

SCOTUS stays execution of inmate seeking chaplain in death chamber

The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the execution Tuesday of a Catholic inmate in Texas who is seeking a chaplain in the death chamber.

Jun 17, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump signs policing order; rogue worker tweets from court’s Twitter account

Trump signs executive order encouraging chokehold limits President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that encourages better policing practices. The order allocates discretionary grants to police departments that seek credentials from organizations certified by the U.S. attorney general. The organizations would review police department practices, confirm that the departments…

Jun 16, 2020 3:33 PM CDT

Defense lawyer who didn’t probe death-row client’s bad childhood was deficient, SCOTUS says

A defense lawyer who failed to investigate his capital client’s tumultuous childhood provided ineffective assistance of counsel, the U.S. Supreme Court held Monday.

Jun 15, 2020 3:55 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bus driver sues for squelched cop talk; more online bar exams ahead

Bus driver’s suit says talk of cop transit concerns squelched A Chicago bus driver has filed a lawsuit alleging he was ordered to stop discussing concerns about the transportation of police officers and arrested protesters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erek Slater alleges the Chicago Transit Authority violated his First Amendment…

Jun 9, 2020 3:45 PM CDT

Missouri execution is first since coronavirus pandemic declared; ABA had urged delay

A Missouri inmate who was executed Tuesday evening had continued to maintain his innocence up until his final breaths. Walter Barton, 64, was executed by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay application.

May 20, 2020 9:48 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge orders shelter for homeless people; state must release execution drug info

Judge orders LA to find shelter for homeless near freeways On Friday, U.S. District Judge David Carter ordered the county and city of Los Angeles to find shelter for up to 7,000 homeless people living near freeways. Carter said shelters must allow for appropriate social distancing, along with adequate showers…

May 18, 2020 4:47 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: First black female Harvard Law grad dies from COVID-19; food delivery apps face antitrust suit

First black female Harvard Law grad dies from novel coronavirus The first black woman to graduate from Harvard Law School has died after contracting COVID-19. Lila Fenwick graduated from the school in 1956. She died April 4 at age 87. Fenwick was a human rights official at the United Nations,…

Apr 15, 2020 5:03 PM CDT

DC Circuit allows federal executions to proceed, with Trump appointees in majority

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit lifted an injunction Tuesday that had prevented the federal government from carrying out executions of four inmates during a review of a new lethal injection procedure.

Apr 7, 2020 3:56 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Reform group backs cost metric in law school rankings; California suspends jury trials

US News’ ranking methodology is the cheese for law school rat race, report says The U.S. News & World Report’s annual law school rankings rely on categories including law school expenditures per student, peer assessment and selectivity in admissions. The valuation should include an “efficiency metric” that encourages getting as…

Mar 24, 2020 4:45 PM CDT