Texas Governor to Spare Inmate From DP
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) decided today to follow the recommendation of the Texas State Board of Pardons and Paroles in commuting the sentence of death row inmate Kenneth Foster. Foster, now 30, was convicted of capital murder after the 1996 murder of Michael LaHood. Foster will now serve a life sentence.
This was the right decision, and quite honestly a surprise in execution-happy Texas.
The unusual reversal by the TSBPP came earlier this morning. The seven-member parole board voted 6-1 to recommend the commutation. Legally, Foster remains a convicted murderer.
This was the right decision, and quite honestly a surprise in execution-happy Texas.
The unusual reversal by the TSBPP came earlier this morning. The seven-member parole board voted 6-1 to recommend the commutation. Legally, Foster remains a convicted murderer.
"After carefully considering the facts of this case, along with the recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment," the governor was quoted as saying.
"I am concerned about Texas law that allowed capital murder defendants to be tried simultaneously and it is an issue I think the Legislature should examine," said Governor Perry.
I covered Foster's conviction and the possibility of his execution in my blog post Hang 'Em High (Or Juice 'Em Up, I Guess) In Texas.0 TrackBacks
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Tony, thanks for the update. It goes to show that people can have a change of heart.
Finally some sanity from the Lone Star State.
While I am definitely anti-DP, in this case, I was even more opposed, because the real killer was already done away with. I mean, the DP is nothing but revenge. And that's not what justice is about (in my opinion).
Killing Kenneth Foster would have been even more wrong -- since he wasn't the trigger man -- if there is such a thing as being "more wrong" when it comes to death.
In many cases, justice refuses to join hands with fairness and integrity. But once in a while, someone will experience a dramatic revesal of fortune. That's what makes this case so intriguing.