'Texas Seven' ringleader denied appeal

Associated Press ^ | June 23, 2004 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

'Texas Seven' ringleader denied appeal

11:58 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Associated Press

AUSTIN – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday denied an appeal from the ringleader of the seven inmates who broke out of a South Texas prison, killed a police officer then avoided authorities during a monthlong nationwide manhunt.

The appeal from George Rivas, who orchestrated the biggest prison break in state history in 2000, was automatic under state law. In 2001, he was convicted and sentenced to die for the slaying of Irving police Officer Aubrey Hawkins, a father of one.

DMN file

George Rivas

The escapees who became known as the "Texas Seven" were apprehended in Colorado in January 2001. One inmate killed himself there rather than be captured, but each of the surviving escapees has been since condemned for killing Hawkins.

During trial, Rivas had asked to be executed, saying he didn't want to live in prison like an animal. He was already serving a life sentence for robbery and kidnapping when he escaped and told jurors that he planned the break because "I wasn't going to die an old man in prison."

Others involved in the break from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Connally Unit in Kenedy in South Texas were Randy Halprin, Donald Newberry, Michael Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy Jr., Joseph Garcia and Larry Harper, who killed himself in Colorado.

Rivas raised 17 points in his appeal, including claims that the trial judge should not have allowed into evidence statements he made while in custody in Colorado, that pretrial publicity may have tainted the jury, ineffective counsel regarding DNA evidence and that gruesome autopsy photos should not have been shown to the jury.

The court was unanimous in rejecting his claims.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062304dntexrivas.28d6fc6c9.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Bring out the gurney.

[GeorgeBerryman]

Sweet. I've lived in Dallas/Ft. Worth all my life and this thug is a scumbag of the highest order. I look forward to one day seeing his name on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Death Row website.

[bondjamesbond]

I'm not a big fan of capital punishment, but this guy really takes the cake. Sometimes I can see the appeal.

[BlueLancer]

"Bring out the gurney."

Better yet, get a rope ...

[cweese]

It's already there :

http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/offendersondrow.htm

Inmate#999394

[Tax-chick]

I've ambivalent about the death penalty, too, but it does seem like people who want to be executed should have that "choice."

[MeekOneGOP]

Sweet. I've lived in Dallas/Ft. Worth all my life and this thug is a scumbag of the highest order. I look forward to one day seeing his name on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Death Row website.

Dittos !

You can see him there right now !:

http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/rivasgeorge.htm

	Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Return to Death Row Page

Name	TDCJ Number	Date of Birth
Rivas, George	999394	5/6/1970
Date Received	Age (when Received)	Education Level (Highest Grade Completed)
8/29/2001	31	12
Date of Offense	Age (at the time of Offense)	County
12/24/2000	30	Dallas
Race	Gender	Hair Color
Hispanic	Male	Black
Height	Weight	Eye Color
5 ft 10 in	214	Brown
Native County	Native State	Prior Occupation
El Paso	Texas	clerk, cook, laborer
Prior Prison Record
#702267 on a life sentence from El Paso County for 13 counts of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, 4 counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, and one count of burglary of a habitation.  Was serving the life sentence and had escaped from TDCJ when committing the present offense.
Summary of incident
While on escape from TDCJ, Rivas and 6 co-defendants robbed a sporting goods store at gunpoint.  An Irving police officer was murdered outside the store as Rivas and co-defendants left the scene.
Co-defendants
Michael Rodriguez (sentenced to death) Donald Newberry (sentenced to death) Randy Halprin Patrick Murphy, Jr. Joseph Garcia Larry Harper
Race and Gender of Victim
white male
Photograph of Offender

Last updated:  05/17/2002

[MeekOneGOP]

[Tacis]

Let's ee, the remaining six killed the cop in 2001 and were convicted and sentenced to death. That menas about 20 years on death row and, for six, about 50 frivolous appeals. There will be one appeal for each based on mental retardation, one each for bad childhoods, one each for cruel and inhuman menas, one each for having/not having a Spanish surname, and, since , as I recall, there were no blacks involved in the escape or murder, lack of diversity. Yeah, justice should take about 20 years!