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.

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