Study: Texas Not No. 1 in Death Penalty

AP to My Yahoo ^ | Feb 14, 2004

[SwinneySwitch]

DALLAS - Despite its reputation as the nation's death penalty leader, Texas is less likely than some other states to sentence convicted murders to death, according to a new study.

It is, however, more likely than other states to carry out a death sentence once it is imposed, according to the study, sponsored by the Cornell Law School Death Penalty Project, which provides legal services to death-row inmates.

Texas actually trails the national average when it comes to the percentage of people convicted of murder who are sentenced to death, says the study, published in the new Journal of Empirical Legal Studies.

As a percentage of murders, Nevada and Oklahoma impose the most death sentences, at 6 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively. The national average is 2.5 percent.

In Texas, the percentage is 2 percent, but that is based on a larger number of murders than other states.

"Texas's reputation as a death-prone state should rest on its many murders and on its willingness to execute death-sentenced inmates," wrote the authors of the study. "It should not rest on the false belief that Texas has a high rate of sentencing convicted murderers to death."

Texas had about 38,000 murders from 1976-1998 that resulted in the arrest of people older than 16, according to the FBI (news - web sites) records. California was the only state that had more, at 50,000. During that same period, Texas used the death sentence 776 times.

As of this past week, Texas had executed 319 people since 1976. By contrast, only 10 people have been executed in California, where 795 people were sentenced to death from 1976 through 2002.

"It tells you there are absolutely massive post-sentencing differences," Theodore Eisenberg, a law professor at Cornell and an author of the study, told The New York Times.

[SwinneySwitch]

"It is, however, more likely than other states to carry out a death sentence once it is imposed..."

[Bluntpoint]

Texas needs to bring back the electric chair.

Then their new motto could be:

"WE MAY NOT BE NUMBER 1 BUT WE FRY HARDER"

[Schattie]

I think Texans will actually be insulted by this assertion... which why I love 'em so much!

[DJtex]

George W. was attacked about this in his first run for President. He explained that our State can only ask for the death penalty if there was a capital crime (murder, kidnapping, etc.) along with another felony (robbery, drug dealing, rape)--a double crime. They both must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt for the capital crime to warrant the death penalty.

This was why Bush was confident of the guilt of the prisoners on death row.

[Indie]

Well ma'am, if it were up ta' me, I'd hang 'em from the tallest oak tree, an' if'n there weren't no trees, I'd hang 'em from a windmill, and if'n there weren't no windmills:

"Here lies Les Moore. 4 slugs from a .44. No Les, no more."

[archy]

"It is, however, more likely than other states to carry out a death sentence once it is imposed..."

Anybody surprised to hear that Texas folks are more likely than some others to keep their word?

-archy-/-

[MeekOneGOP]

Interesting.
bttt for later, thanks.

[dougherty]

Texas Not No. 1 in Death Penalty

Damn! As a Texan, I am very disappointed in this news. I want murderers to know that if they do their dirty deed here, they will die for it.

[buffyt]

Or the firing squad. With all the licensed concealed gun carriers, and other gun owners, hunters, etc., we would have a ready willing gun line....... I would volunteer to be a shooter.

[texasflower]

(shhh......I actually had that feeling when I read the article!)

[tal hajus]

You've been to the Tombstone cemetery also??