1. a) Andre Thomas was convicted of the violent 2004 murder of his estranged wife and two children that occurred in North Texas. Although he was sentenced to the death penalty, the decision was controversial due to his mental health condition. During Thomas’ criminal trial and time in prison, he became blind as a result of pulling out his eyes (Grissom). In addition to this act of self mutilation, his defense argued that he battled with mental illness as well as the negative effects from his substance and alcohol abuse (Grissom). This case presented a challenge to the Texas Criminal Justice System because the death penalty, as discussed in the textbook, couldn’t have been used if he was determined to be mentally incompetent. However, despite …show more content…
Although she was given the death penalty, there is no longer a definitive date due to the prosecution being accused of withholding exculpatory evidence during the trial that could have proven her innocence (Melhado). Recently, both the defense and district attorney argued that the prosecutors at the time intentionally withheld interviews from Luico’s other children where they stated that their mother was not abusive and that that the signs of abuse found on the child’s body could be attested to them witnessing the child fall down the stairs days prior (Melhaldo). Furthermore, the ruling was also challenged because the judge prevented professionals from testifying that Luico’s guilty confession could’ve been due to external factors (Melhaldo). Overall, this case is significant for the Texas Criminal Justice System because it illustrates how the misconduct of lawyers can impact trials and therefore leave uncertainty regarding whether or not the convict is deserving of the death penalty. c) Anthony Graves spent almost two decades in prison and was given the death penalty after being wrongfully convicted for six murders that took place in 1994 …show more content…
What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? This political cartoon refers to the fact that minorities are more likely to be treated unjustly by the Texas Justice System than white individuals. As discussed in the textbook, racial biases in trials are evident whether it be the death penalty being more actively sought by the prosecution or the jury believing that a criminal poses a larger threat to society when the defendant is a racial minority. Due to this, I definitely agree that race contributes to how the legal system prosecutes the individual. Similarly, it appears evident that law enforcement also treats people differently, as certain races have a greater likelihood of facing police brutality and profiling. I believe that this issue is still prevalent because certain racial groups, like African Americans and Latinos, are given the death penalty and solitary confinement at a much higher rate. Additionally, the textbook also states that charges are brought against certain minorities at a disproportionate rate, thus illustrating how a person’s race can unjustly impact their
According to the Justice Kagan, in the case of Florida vs. Harris, “we considered how a court should determine if the “alert” of drug-detention during a traffic stop provides probable cause to search a vehicle” (Kagan).
subject to the O'Brien test, and that the second was a direct maneuver to limit expression.
"The Carlos DeLuna Case: Definitive Proof That Texas Executed an Innocent Man? - The Week." The Week. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
In an article written by a Senior student they discuss a monumental moment in Mexican American history concerning equality in the South. The student’s paper revolves around the Pete Hernandez V. Texas case in which Hernandez receives a life in prison sentence by an all white jury. The essay further discusses how Mexican Americans are technically “white” americans because they do not fall into the Indian (Native American), or black categories and because of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848. The student’s paper proceeds to discuss the goals connecting the Hernandez V. Texas case which was to secure Mexican American’s right within the fourteenth amendment [1].
The Texas vs Johnson case didn't drastically change the way people viewed things. Yes, the trial caused a lot of uproar, especially in Texas because of its patriotism, but it wasn't a case in which a law or amendment needed to be changed but rather was a case in which an amendment needed to be understood. Johnson’s act of burning the American flag in front of Dallas City Hall, in order to protest the Reagan administration during the Republican National Convention, was deemed as a sign of “symbolic” speech. Johnson’s act was ruled to be protected by the first amendment because speech was considered more than just the written word. The Supreme Court ruled it as such because of prior cases such as “Stromberg v. California” and “Tinker v. Des
Harvey Leroy Sossamon III was denied the ability to use the prison chapels, in the state prison in which he was being held (Oyez.org). Sossamon had been in the Robertson Unit of the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice since 2002 (Fasoro). His claims for use were that of religious purposes, the state prison warden in fact denied all inmates that were cell restricted access to such activities. Sossamon was entitled to the use the chapel, in fact it was in his rights. However the prison inmates were provided with different ways and places to practice their religion. Regardless Sossamon explained that the alternatives were absent of Christian symbol. In fact Sossamon witnessed Muslim inmates receive better treatment (Findlaw.com). This came in the forms of treatment, meals and other necessities. Sossamon also added that the alternatives were noisy from the exterior and unfit for religious worship due in part to bad conditions (Fasoro). Sossamon also confirmed if the inmates did not cease prayer when ordered by the guards they were subjected to retaliation or other physical mistreatment (Findlaw.com).Sossamon to advantage of his Secular activity time and began to study the law. Finally when the inmates were on lockdown, could not participate in religious activities but could still participate in schedule secular activities (Fasoro).
A. A. “Colored Pictures: Race & Visual Representation.” University of North Carolina Press. Copyright 2003 by. 5. What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'?
RELATED MURDER TRIALS: Making A Murderer: The Case For And Against Steve Avery And Brendan Dassey
Indeed, themes of coercion are oftentimes synonymous with family-related oppression that various groups faced. Some benefits were meant for children who were missing a parent, as merely lacking finances was not enough to merit welfare. Yet despite defining the condition as “absence of a parent,” what these programs really meant was the absence of a father-- the traditional wage-earner of the household. [footnote 115] There was anxiety about whether or not “able-bodied males might surreptitiously benefit from grants given to women and children,” for if one was physically able then regardless of whether or not the wages and hours were fair it was believed one should work. [footnote 124] Thus, any perceived method to circumvent such assigning
Taking a life is a very serious crime and it is seen as one of the worst violent crimes one can commit. Society has a hard time coping with why people result to such cruel violence when usually it isn’t necessary. Taking a life typically results in your own life being taken by the criminal justice system. Many offenders, however, do escape without punishment. First-degree murder is usually defined as a killing that was deliberate and premeditated which is what Michael Dunn is being charged with for shooting a 17 year old Jordan Davis (First Degree Murder Law & Legal Definition). Within my paper, I will summarize the article of the shooting of Jordan Davis, explain the relevance of the article to my Criminal Justice class, and discuss the implications for the criminal justice system.
The view of the American culture is that executing those who are mental retarded is against our morale's and values. Instead the Amicus Brief provided by the APA helps to give assistance in using a set of procedures to follow when dealing with capital crimes of the mentally retarded (APA, 2013).
Although the flaws of death penalty are lucid, they are often times over looked by society. Innocuous people have been ruled to death based upon mistaken eyewitness testimonies, mistaken identity, and false confessions through coercion. Former Governor of Illinois George Ryan was a staunch proponent o...
Yet, many jurisdictions using the death penalty have allowed provisions exempting the mentally incompetent from execution. American law recognizes additional reason for exclusion, including issues focusing on retribution, the ability to provide information for the appeals process, and the ability to psychological prepare for death (Brodsky et al., 1999). Although these exclusions are in place, there is still a need to evaluate an inmate’s competency.
" Mental Illness and the Death Penalty." American Civil Liberties Union. May 5, 2009. Web. 04
The procedure known as “parole” in the criminal justice system has been in practice in the United States since the late 1800’s when it was begun in a reformatory in Elmira, New York. It’s process provides for early conditional release from prison for convicted felons, after part of their prison sentence has been served, and they are found to be eligible for parole based on factors such as: conduct while incarcerated, rehabilitative efforts/progress, type of offense, and remorse for their crime. Its use has been expanded to many states, and today has become the primary way by which offenders are released from prisons and correctional institutions. Unfortunately, parole is not always rewarded to worthy inmates, thus putting society at risk for repeated crimes that often outweigh the benefits of parole, therefore, parole should be abolished and inmates should be made to complete their full sentences. Prison inmates are usually sentenced by the severity of their crimes, as well as their mental intention at the time of the act. For example: a person who commits murder intentionally expects to take the life of another in reckless disregard for human life, and knows that the act itself which he or she has decided to commit, will surely bring about death. However, in the case of manslaughter, which is also the taking of a human life, there is no actual intention to bring about death. The act that lead to someone’s death, is measured by the circumstances that made the person kill such as self-defense, or a crime of passion because the killer was provoked in such a way that a chain of events lead to violence which eventually resulted in peril. Because of the difference in how these crimes are carried out, inmates are sentenced differently; some are sentenced to life in prison, and others are sentenced to several years and will be eligible for parole after serving part of their sentence. In lieu of inmates completing their full sentences, parole tries to achieve releasing inmates early based on the idea that the inmate has been sufficiently punished, and should be given the opportunity to become a law abiding citizen, capable of functioning in our society with adequate supervision. Although parole attempts to carefully screen inmates prior to granting early release, their decisions often do not merit wise choices. As a social worker, I e...