Melissa Lucio had long maintained her innocence. New evidence and expert testimony emerged casting strong doubt on her guilt.
By J. David Goodman
New York Times
The mother, Melissa Lucio, has long maintained her innocence, and calls for leniency have become widespread in Texas, including among dozens of Democratic and Republican state legislators, as new evidence and expert testimony emerged that cast strong doubt on her guilt.
In a three-page decision ordering a stay to the execution that had been set for Wednesday, the Court of Criminal Appeals found that several of the claims raised by her lawyers needed to be considered by a trial court, including that prosecutors may have used false testimony, that previously unavailable scientific evidence could preclude her conviction and that prosecutors suppressed other evidence that would have been favorable to her.
The case had drawn national attention, including a documentary film, as lawyers for Ms. Lucio argued that evidence presented at trial undercut the case for murder in the death of her daughter, Mariah.
“I thank God for my life,” Ms. Lucio said in a statement released by her lawyers. “I am grateful the Court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. Mariah is in my heart today and always.”
The case now returns to a lower court to resolve those issues, postponing the execution indefinitely. Ms. Lucio would have been the first Hispanic woman executed in Texas....
“Melissa is entitled to a new, fair trial,” said one of her lawyers, Tivon Schardl. “Texans should be grateful and proud that the Court of Criminal Appeals has given Melissa’s legal team the opportunity to present the new evidence of Melissa’s innocence to the (138th) Cameron County District Court.”
Ms. Lucio’s case was also before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which could grant clemency. But the board said Monday that because of the stay it would not be making a clemency recommendation “at this time.”
9 comments:
Mother of 14?
perhaps that had something to do with it. Ya think>
Political bullshit!
They should bring back public executions. but televise them live and in HD. Troubled youths get front row seating. Hanging, Decapitation, Firing Squad, Electrocution, Lethal Ejection, bring it all back.
14 husband's eh.
The 38th Cameron County District, the district court that Arturo Nelson presided. Convicted district attorney Armando Villalobos was the district attorney at the time and Adela de la Garza was the district clerk, both who conspired to cover-up corruption. Wasn't Maria Ford prosecuting the case? No wonder she got the death sentence, but let's not forget Luis Saenz was also prosecuting cases. Maybe that is why he played possum because he was afraid of conflict of interest. Shameful corrupt so- called attorneys. Bottom line is that enough corruption needs to stop.
Read the news first on a British website, the Daily Mail. Nothing posted on Fake news on Five or Valley Central fake news.
April 25, 2022 at 6:57 PM
They all should spend 10 years in prison waiting to be executed as a punichment for their couuption.
FILE CHARGES AGAINST THOSE THAT LIED AND SENT THEM TO THE EXECUTION SECTION OF THE PRISON TO ROT THERE...
Rata judge
Post a Comment