Execution Approaching for Longest Serving Inmate on Texas Death Row

One of the first inmates sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed in 2007 is Ronald Chambers, who has been on death row since Gerald Ford was President, and longer than any oth­er inmate in Texas. He is fac­ing exe­cu­tion on January 25, thir­ty-one years after he was first sen­tenced to death for mur­der. His co-defen­dant in the crime, Clarence Ray Williams, plead­ed guilty and is serv­ing two life sen­tences. Chambers’ con­vic­tion was over­turned twice since 1976, includ­ing once on the grounds that pros­e­cu­tors improp­er­ly exclud­ed three black peo­ple from his jury. (Associated Press, CNN​.com, December 12, 2006). 

See Upcoming Executions and DPIC’s Time on Death Row. Supreme Court Justices Stevens and Breyer have indi­cat­ed in pre­vi­ous cas­es that the exten­sive time some inmates have spent on death row may present an issue for Supreme Court review.