Entries tagged with “Claude Jones

Policy Issues

Innocence

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Clemency

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Dec 03, 2010

OP-ED: Capital Punishment and Human Fallibility”

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Barry Scheck, co-direc­tor of the Innocence Project, high­lighs flaws in Texas’s death penal­ty sys­tem that led to the exe­cu­tion of Claude Jones (pic­tured). Then-gov­er­nor George Bush reject­ed Jones’s appli­ca­tion for a reprieve. Bush was not informed that the reprieve would allow time for DNA tests to be per­formed on a strand of hair that was found at the crime scene. This hair had been…

Policy Issues

Arbitrariness

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Innocence

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Clemency

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Nov 12, 2010

Another Texas Execution Thrown in Doubt by New DNA Tests

Recent DNA tests raise seri­ous doubts about the con­vic­tion of a man exe­cut­ed in Texas in 2000. The tests revealed that a strand of hair found at the scene of a liquor-store shoot­ing did not belong to Claude Jones, as was orig­i­nal­ly implied by the pros­e­cu­tion. Instead, the hair belonged to the vic­tim. Jones was exe­cut­ed for the mur­der of the store’s own­er. The strand of hair was the only piece of phys­i­cal evi­dence that placed Jones at the scene of the crime,…

Policy Issues

Innocence

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Jun 16, 2010

DNA Evidence Could Show If Texas Executed an Innocent Man

Texas Judge Paul C. Murphy recent­ly ordered pros­e­cu­tors to hand over key evi­dence from a 1989 mur­der case to the Innocence Project and the Texas Observer for DNA test­ing. In 2007, the Innocence Project and the Observer filed suit to obtain a one-inch strand of hair that alleged­ly impli­cat­ed Claude Howard Jones (pic­tured) in the killing of a liquor store own­er in San Jacinto County. Other than vague eye­wit­ness accounts and…

Policy Issues

Innocence

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Sep 10, 2007

Judge Blocks Texas From Destroying Evidence in Case of Possible Wrongful Execution

A Texas judge blocked the destruc­tion of DNA evi­dence that could prove the inno­cence of a man who was exe­cut­ed in 2000. A joint motion filed by a coali­tion of con­cerned groups sought DNA test­ing on a hair tak­en from the crime scene in the case of Claude Jones. In addi­tion, the groups asked the court to impose a restrain­ing order to pre­vent Texas from destroy­ing the evi­dence while the court con­sid­ers their request for DNA test­ing. Judge Elizabeth Coker grant­ed the restrain­ing order request and…

Policy Issues

Innocence

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Apr 19, 2005

Attorneys Seek DNA Testing In Case of Executed Texas Man

Attorney Barry Scheck plans to ask Texas Governor Rick Perry to order DNA test­ing in the case of Claude Jones, who main­tained his inno­cence until his exe­cu­tion in December 2000. Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, says Jones’ con­vic­tion was large­ly based on dubi­ous evi­dence. The state’s case against him includ­ed tes­ti­mo­ny from an accom­plice link­ing Jones to the crime and the report of a state foren­sic sci­en­tist who exam­ined a one-inch length of hair found at the crime scene. The…