Entries tagged with “Luis Saenz”
Women
,Sep 28, 2026
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Refuses to Grant Relief to Melissa Lucio, Despite Trial Court’s Finding of Actual Innocence
Nearly two years after District Judge Arturo Nelson declared Texas death-sentenced prisoner Melissa Lucio “actually innocent,” the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) refused to accept the recommendation of the lower court to overturn her conviction. A closely divided TCCA declined “to adopt any of the habeas court’s findings and conclusions,” which the majority of the court wrote “exclusively reflect [Ms. Lucio’s] interpretation of the evidence and are often unsupported.” In its 5 – 4…
Jun 27, 2025
U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Texas Death Row Prisoner Seeking DNA Testing
On June 26, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued a rare 6 – 3 ruling in favor of a Texas death row prisoner, Ruben Gutierrez, holding that he may proceed with his lawsuit challenging Texas’s post-conviction DNA statute on constitutional grounds. Mr. Gutierrez was convicted and sentenced to death in 1999 for the murder and robbery of an 85-year-old woman but has long maintained he did not know his codefendants would kill the victim. According to the decision, “Gutierrez has standing to…
Nov 15, 2024
Trial Judge Declares Melissa Lucio to be “Actually Innocent,” Recommends Texas CCA Overturn Conviction and Death Sentence
Texas death-sentenced prisoner Melissa Lucio is “actually innocent; she did not kill her [two-year-old] daughter,” explained Judge Arturo Nelson in his October 16th decision, which was made public on November 14, 2024. Judge Nelson’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law now go to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA), which will make the final decision about whether to overturn Ms. Lucio’s conviction and 2008 death sentence. This decision marks the latest dramatic development for Ms.
Issues
Women
,Apr 16, 2024
Trial Judge Signs Agreed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Recommending Melissa Lucio’s Conviction and Death Sentence Be Overturned
On April 12, 2024, Judge Arturo Nelson signed an Agreed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law submitted by the prosecution and defense stating that Melissa Lucio (pictured) was not given access to favorable information in the prosecution’s possession at the time of trial. The acknowledgement of this constitutional error resulted in Judge Nelson’s recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) that Ms. Lucio’s conviction and death sentence be overturned. The ruling marks the…