The Moratorium Campaign


Death Penalty:	YES
Prohibit Execution of the Mentally Retarded:	NO. However, this state must draft legislation with clear and unambiguous language prohibiting executions of persons with an IQ of less than 70 in order to reflect the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that such executions are unconstitutional.
Life Without Parole:	NO
Minimum Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty:	17 (29 juveniles on death row)
Number on Death Row:	454
Executions Since 1976:	289
Race of Defendants:	188 black (41%), 151 white (33%), 110 Hispanic (24%), 5 Asian (1%)
Race of Victims:	unknown
Racial Make-up of State Population:	52% White- not of Hispanic or Latino origin, 32% Hispanic or Latino, 12% black, 3% Asian, .6% American Indian
Innocents Exonerated:	YES (7) NameYears ServedYear Released Vernon McManus101987 Randall Dale Adams121989 Clarence Brandley91990 John C. Skelton71990 Federico M. Macias91993 Muneer Deeb81993 Ricardo Aldape Guerra151997
Columbia University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases:	52%
Murder Rate:	6.1 per 100,000
Governor:	Rick Perry, (Republican),
Presidential Vote:	59% Bush, 38% Gore, 2% Nader
Organizations Endorsing a Moratorium:	City of Hays City of Rollingwood Aggie Democrats, Texas A&M University (College Station) Alliance for Democracy, Houston Chapter (Houston) American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Brazos County (College Station) American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Houston (Houston) American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), San Antonio (San Antonio) Amnesty International, Group 205 (Dallas) Amnesty International, Group 23 (Houston) Amnesty International, Group 500 (Austin) Amnesty International, North Central Texas College (Gainsville) Amnesty International, Sam Houston State University (Huntsville) Amnesty International, Texas A&M University (College Station) Antigua (Austin) Austin American-Statesman (Austin) Bethune Woman's Club of Bryan Bexar County Green Party Blessed Sacrament Church (San Antonio) Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse (Austin) Brigidine Sisters, Congregation of St. Brigid (San Antonio) Call to Action San Antonio (San Antonio) Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Austin Chapter (Austin) Capital Area Progressive Democrats (Shirley A Johnson) Corpus Justice, Inc. (Houston) Dallas Morning News (Dallas) Dallas Peace Center (Dallas) Democratic Party, 26th District Senatorial Convention 2000 Democratic Party, 2nd District Senatorial Convention 2000 Democratic Party, 8th District Senatorial Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Brazos County Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Collin County Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Dallas County Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Harris County Convention 2000 (Houston) Democratic Party, Jefferson County Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Precinct 21 Convention 2000 (Plano) Democratic Party, Precinct 67 Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Precinct 122 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 126 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 129 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 131 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 135 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 141 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 151 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 161 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 210 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 213 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 214 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 215 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 218 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 220 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 221 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 224 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 225 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 228 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 229 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 232 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 235 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 236 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 240 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 241 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 243 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 244 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 250 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 253 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 257 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 258 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 259 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 262 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 264 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 265 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 270 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 273 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 276 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 278 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 301 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 302 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 303 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 305 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 307 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 310 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 312 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 315 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 325 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 328 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 332 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 334 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 336 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 338 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 339 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 340 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 347 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 361 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 372 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 374 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 376 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 401 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 403 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 409 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 421 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 422 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 424 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 433 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 435 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 437 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 439 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 441 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 442 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 445 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 446 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 450 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 463 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 464 Convention 2002 (Travis County) Democratic Party, Precinct 486 Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Precinct 1045 Convention 2000 (Bexar County) Democratic Party, Precinct 2212 Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Precinct 2334 Convention 2000 Democratic Party, Travis County Convention 2000 and 2002 (Austin) Democratic Party, Williamson County Convention 2000 (Williamson County) Democratic Social, Texas A&M University (College Station) Divine Providence Church (San Antonio) Dominican Sisters of Houston (Houston) Eco Wise (Austin) El Pasoans Against the Death Penalty (El Paso) Espada/Cabrini Catholic Church (San Antonio) Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Houston (Houston) Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), San Antonio (San Antonio) First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston (Houston) First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, Community Involvement Committee (Houston) First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio (San Antonio) Friends Just Peace Institute (College Station) Gray Panthers of Austin (Austin) Gray Panthers of Houston (Houston) Green Party of Dallas County (Dallas) Green Party of Harris County (Houston) Green Party of Texas Guadalupe Catholic Church (San Antonio) Holy Family Services–Weslaco (Weslaco) Holy Rosary Church (San Antonio) Holy Spirit Catholic Church (San Antonio) Holy Spirit Parish (McAllen) Holy Trinity Catholic Church (San Antonio) Hope of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) (Burleson) House the Homeless! Inc. (Austin) Houston Chronicle (Houston) Houston Non-Violent Action / War Resisters League (Houston) Houston Rabbinical Association (Houston) Humanists of Ft. Worth (Ft. Worth) Humanists of Houston (Houston) Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), Austin (Austin) Jesuit Volunteer Corp, South (Houston) John Wesley United Methodist Church, Women's Class Lamp of Hope Project Law Offices of Gary Taylor, Alexander Calhoun and Catherine Haenni (Austin) Marist Sisters (Abilene) Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Houston) Mi Casa Gallery (Austin) Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence (San Antonio) Monastery of the Infant Jesus (Lufkin) Mt. Sinai, Social Action Committee (El Paso) Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, Texas Chapter National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Harrison County Branch (Marshall) North Galveston County Democrats (League City) The Open Window (Richardson) Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Fort Worth (Fort Worth) Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Helotes (Helotes) Our Lady of the Lake Convent (San Antonio) Pax Christi Cypress (Cypress) Pax Christi Dallas (Dallas) Pax Christi Houston (Houston) Physicians for Social Responsibility, Houston (Houston) Ramirez Grant & Project Management (Leander) Religious Society of Friends, Live Oak Friends Meeting (Houston) Resurrection of the Lord Church (San Antonio) Resurrection of the Lord Church, Pastoral Council (San Antonio) Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso (El Paso) Roman Catholic Diocese of San Antonio (San Antonio) Rue's Antiques, Inc. (Austin) Sad Loud America (Austin) Sam Houston State University Student Government Association (Huntsville) San Antonio Citizens Against the Death Penalty (San Antonio) San Juan de Los Lagos Church (San Antonio) Schonemann, Rountree & Owen, LLP (Austin) School Sisters of Notre Dame, Dallas Province (Dallas) School Sisters of Notre Dame, Dallas Province, Provincial Council (Dallas) Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate World, Houston (Houston) Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate World, San Antonio (San Antonio) Sisters of Divine Providence (San Antonio) Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur, Western Province (Fort Worth) Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon (Alamo) Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (Wichita Falls) Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, Inc. (San Antonio) Sisters of the Incarnate Word, Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi) Socialist Party of Texas (Austin) Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (Corpus Christi) Society of St. Teresa of Jesus (San Antonio) St. Alphonsus Church, San Antonio (San Antonio) St. Anthony Catholic Church (Bryan) St. Bonaventine Catholic Community (San Antonio) St. Brigid Catholic Church (San Antonio) St. Francis Mission Sisters (Lubbock) St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (San Antonio) St. Helena Church (San Antonio) St. Joan of Arc Church (San Antonio) St. John Berchmaus Church (San Antonio) St. Joseph Church (Dilley) St. Jude Church (San Antonio) St. Leonard Catholic Church (San Antonio) St. Martin de Porres Church (San Antonio) St. Mary's Catholic Center (College Station) St. Theresa Catholic Church (Sugar Land) St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (San Antonio) St. Vincent de Paul St. Patrick's Church (Canutillo) Star-Telegram (Fort Worth) Students for Peace, Texas A&M University (College Station) Students to Free Tibet, Texas A&M University (College Station) Texas Alliance for Human Needs (Austin) Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission (Dallas) Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops The Texas Civil Rights Project (Austin) Texas Coalition for Peace and Freedom (Houston) Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Texas Conference of Churches (Austin) Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (Austin) Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement (Houston) Texas Democratic Women of the Brazos Valley Texas Democrats For a Moratorium on Executions (Austin) Texas Impact (Austin) Texas Inmates Families Association, El Paso Chapter (El Paso) Texas Moratorium Now Campaign (Austin) Tinhorn Traders (Austin) Trinity United Methodist Church (Austin) Unitarian Universalists Against the Death Penalty, Austin (Austin) Unitarian Universalists Against the Death Penalty, Beaumont (Beaumont) United Methodist Church, Central Texas Conference (Arlington) United Methodist Church, North Texas Annual Conference United Methodist Church, Texas Annual Conference Western Urban Deanery, Archdiocese of San Antonio (Beaumount) Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Houston Chapter (Houston)
Organizations Working FOR a Moratorium:	There are a number of good, well organized groups in Texas working on death penalty and other criminal justice issues, including: StandDown (a moratorium group headed by Steve Hall, long time Texas political activist); Texas Defender Service (TDS) (led by Jim Marcus; the group is losing Maurie Levin but may pick up Sen. Ellis staffer Hannah Liebman): ProTex (led by Eva Owens, who is committed to making ProTex more of a force in criminal justice reform in Texas); Will Harrell and the ACLU Texas; the Catholic Diocese (headed by Richard Daley); Texas Impact (a faith-based coalition headed by Bee Morehead); Campaign to End the Death Penalty (with Michael DeBrauw); The Texas Moratorium Network; Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty (TCAD) (with Annette Spanhel); the Austin chapter of the NAACP; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Bill Beardall from the Equal Justice Center; and others. Keith Hampton, a lobbyist who works on criminal justice reform issues (including the death penalty) has also be very involved. State Senator Rodney Ellis made criminal justice reform, and the death penalty, key parts of his agenda in the 2001 session. Sen. Ellis supports the death penalty, but is a vocal and powerful reformer. In the House, Texas was aided by Rep Hinjosa. StandDown Texas Steve Hall P.O. Box 13011 Austin, TX 78711-3011 512-441-3195 www.standdown.org [email protected] ACLU of Texas P.O. Box 3629 Austin, TX 78764-3629 Jay Jacobson-contact 512-441-0077--(day) 512-441-3195--(fax) [email protected] www.aclutx.org Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator Rick Halperin-contact 214-768-3284-(phone) [email protected] Campaign to End the Death Penalty Austin Chapter Lily Hughes-contact 512-494-0667-(phone) [email protected] Texas Impact!* P.O. Box 214463 Dallas, TX 75221 The Prison Show* KPFT Radio, 90.1 FM 419 Lovett Blvd. Houston, TX 77006 Ray Hill/Marta Glass-contacts 713-942-8146-(fax) [email protected] Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty 3400 Montrose Blvd. Suite 312 Houston, TX 77006 David Atwood-contact 713-520-0300--(day) 713-529-3826--(eve) 713-942-8146--(fax) [email protected] www.tcadp.org Texas Defender Service 412 Main St. Suite 1150 Houston, TX 77002 Jim Marcus-contact 713-222-7788--(day) 713-222-0260--(fax) [email protected] www.texasdefender.org Texas Moratorium Network 14804 Moonseed Cove Austin, TX 78728 512-302-6715 www.texasmoratorium.org [email protected]
Organizations Working AGAINST a Moratorium:	Governor Perry, Justice for ALL (Victim’s Rights Group), a good portion of the legislature.
Clemency:	The Governor has the authority on the advice of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The Governor needs a favorable recommendation from the board in order to be able to grant clemency. The governor is not obligated to follow the recommendation of the Board. The Governor also has the power to grant a thirty day reprieve
Who Decides Sentence:	Jury
Method of Execution:	Lethal injection

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