Entries tagged with “Melissa Lucio”
Facts & Research
Recent Legislative Activity
,Mar 13, 2023
LEGISLATION: High Profile Cases in Texas Spur Legislative Activity on the Death Penalty
Prompted by the high-profile cases of Melissa Lucio, Andre Thomas, and John Ramirez, bills have been introduced in the Texas legislature to help prevent miscarriages of justice. Representative Joe Moody (pictured right) has authored two bills, one that would authorize Texas prosecutors to cancel scheduled executions, and another to facilitate the use of scientific evidence to lessen a person’s sentence. Lucio and Thomas both had execution dates, but were granted temporary reprieves. Lucio…
Policy Issues
Prosecutorial Accountability
,Women
,Apr 11, 2024
Rare Agreement Between District Attorney and Defense Counsel Acknowledge Prosecutorial Misconduct and Need for New Trial for Melissa Lucio
On April 5, 2024, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz and Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin released a joint statement regarding Melissa Lucio’s case, which has been pending additional review for almost two years. On January 11, 2023, the parties submitted an Agreed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law stating that the defense was not given access to favorable information in the prosecution’s possession at trial, an error that they agree should entitle Ms. Lucio to a new…
Policy Issues
Innocence
,Jul 03, 2024
The 200th Exoneration Underscores Critical Flaws in the U.S. Criminal Legal System; Other Innocent Prisoners Remain on Death Row
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Furman v. Georgia (1972), 200 death-sentenced men and women across 30 states have been exonerated. Analysis from the Death Penalty Information Center reveals these individuals have collectively spent 2,621 years in harsh prison conditions for crimes they did not commit. On average, death row exonerees spent 13 years under the sentence of death before their exonerations, with some individuals spending more than 40 years fighting to prove…
Policy Issues
Prosecutorial Accountability
,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…