What's Messing With Texas Death Sentences?
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
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Publisher
Texas Tech Law Review
Abstract
Analysis reveals five causes for the decline of Texas death sentences, with varying degrees of effect. Three causes are changes in the legal landscape: (1) fewer capital murder convictions-modest effect; (2) the advent of the life-without-parole (LWOP) alternative-large effect; and (3) the exemption of mentally retarded and juvenile defendants from death sentences-modest effect. The other two changes are at the county level beyond what can be accounted for by the three causes above: (4) the less-populous county opt-out-large effect; (5) the Harris County plunge-large effect.
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Keywords
Texas death sentences, Three changes to death sentences in the legal landscape in Texas, Fewer capital murder convictions, Advent of the LWOP alternative, Life-without-parole (LWOP), U.S. Supreme Court exemption of juvenile and mentally retarded defendants, Less-populous county opt-out, Harris County Plunge
Citation
David McCord, What's Messing With Texas Death Sentences?, 43 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 601 (2010-2011)