Texas Lags In The Evolutionary Race

[goofyfish]

In mankind’s long climb up from the primordial ooze, none of us have much to boast about so far. A few small differences have emerged, however, and one is between the Ohio and the Texas judicial systems.

From the Associated Press:

A Cincinnati judge declared a mistrial after a juror fell asleep in the trial of a man facing cocaine charges. “You have a right to 12 jurors who are awake,” Judge Robert Ruehlman of Common Pleas Court told the defendant, James Toran, 27.

From the Asheville Global Report:

Last year, US District Judge David Hittner in Houston ordered the state to give Burdine a new trial or let him go. But Texas Attorney General John Cornyn appealed the ruling, which was overturned by Friday’s decision …

Burdine’s attorney, Robert McGlasson, told Reuters he was ‘shocked’ by the latest ruling. “It is disturbing, to say the least, that a court has ruled that defendant in a capital murder case does not have a right to an attorney who at least stays awake, attentive and alert throughout his trial,” he said.

“As I’ve always said, justice asleep is justice denied,” McGlasson said.

Peace.

 

[airavata]

if this really happened it's terrible. sleeping juror? all i know about texas is that it was formerly part of mexico and had a butcher for governor.

 

[Xevious]

I'm surprised none of you seem to have read the short story "Twelve Angry Men". Putting aside that you singled out Texans in your title (which I'm just elbowing you for), things like this happen ALL the time through out the counry. The question is wether or not you actually get to read about it in the paper. Of course, you rarely do. It just in this case happens to be in Texas, the full article slanted against the death penalty and Bush. Nothing new here. Consider too the quality of a public defender period. You can't expect Johnny Cochrine quality.

Personally, I don't think it's right at all. You're going to send someone to an execution he deserves every chance to be sure that what the state is doing is just. Unfortunetly, many lawyers tend to be incompetent... be it by just stupid strategey, or by sleeping in court.

Fortunetly, this was not his final appeal. Texas state law does give him at least one more before his execution.