A new study from the Texas Defender Service calls for sub­stan­tial changes in the way Texas han­dles cap­i­tal mur­der cas­es. The report rec­om­mends that Texas imple­ment a series of reforms, includ­ing uni­form inves­ti­ga­tion pro­ce­dures, a life-with­out-parole sen­tenc­ing option, and a statewide pub­lic defend­er’s office.

Drawing from rec­om­men­da­tions made by the blue-rib­bon Illinois Commission on Capital Punishment that was estab­lished to address wrong­ful con­vic­tions in that state, the Texas Defender report notes, ​“Texas has exe­cut­ed 340 peo­ple in the mod­ern death penal­ty era, 28 times the num­ber exe­cut­ed by Illinois, yet its nine exon­er­a­tions lag far behind those of Illinois. Texas is at unac­cept­able risk for wrong­ful con­vic­tion and exe­cu­tion, an espe­cial­ly trou­bling fact giv­en its sta­tus as the undis­put­ed leader in exe­cu­tions among the 38 states with the death penal­ty.”

The report, ​“Minimizing Risk, A Blueprint for Death Penalty Reform in Texas,” was sent to Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Criminal Justice Advisory Council, which was cre­at­ed this year to rec­om­mend changes that could improve the state’s crim­i­nal justice system. 

(San Antonio Express-News, May 13, 2005). Read the full report in PDF for­mat. See also Innocence and Resources.

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