Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 1, 2008 8:27:51 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Texas Gov. Spares Prisoner Hours Before Execution

Posted Aug 30, 07 5:50 PM CDT in Politics,  US 

(Newser) – Texas Gov. Rick Perry commuted a death-row prisoner's sentence to life imprisonment today, six hours before he was to die for his role in a 1996 murder. Kenneth Foster drove the getaway car in a robbery gone awry, and under Texas law was eligible for the death penalty. Perry, in granting the reprieve, followed the advice of a state board.

Perry took issue with the fact that Foster was tried simultaneously with the murderer, saying state lawmakers should examine the law that allows that scenario. The timing of the reprieve was unusual for Perry, the Houston Chronicle reports, with the commutation the first in his eight-plus years in office coming so close to a scheduled execution.

Source Houston Chronicle

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Texas Steps Up Executions to Clear Logjam

    Oct 24, 08 2:25 PM CDT
    Texas Steps Up Executions to Clear Logjam A dozen condemned inmates in Texas's "death watch" cells are being executed at a scheduled rate of two a week through November. The executions relieve a logjam created when the US Supreme Court effectively halted lethal injections while deciding whether the method was unconstitutionally inhumane. It ruled the method constitutional, and executions resumed.
    More »

  • Con Wins Death Stay in Judge Affair Appeal

    Sep 10, 08 11:48 AM CDT
    A Texas death-row inmate who filed an appeal alleging that an affair between the judge and prosecutor compromised his trial has been granted a stay of execution. But, ABC News reports, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals approved Charles Dean Hood's request based not on the affair but because of a problem with jury instructions during his trial for murder and robbery. More »

  • Death Row Con Wins Hearing Over Courtroom Hanky Panky

    Sep 5, 08 7:33 AM CDT
    Death Row Con Wins Hearing Over Courtroom Hanky Panky A condemned Texas inmate has won a hearing to decide whether his lawyers can question the judge and prosecutor at his capital case trial about an alleged affair the two were having while the proceedings were unfolding, ABC News reports. A former county DA filed a sworn statement last year saying the affair was "common knowledge" at the time.
    More »

  • Report: California Death Penalty in Critical Condition

    Jul 1, 08 3:43 AM CDT
    Report: California Death Penalty in Critical Condition California's capital punishment system is nearing collapse, according to a state commission. The time between sentencing and execution in the state is as long as 25 years—double the national average. The panel recommended California spend $100 million a year to hire more lawyers and clear the "overwhelmed" appeals system, reports the Sacramento Bee. More »

  • Aussie Pardoned 86 Years After Execution

    May 27, 08 6:27 AM CDT
    Aussie Pardoned 86 Years After Execution An Australian man hanged for raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl has been pardoned 86 years after his execution, Reuters reports. Hairs found in his bed that were said to belong to the victim weren’t hers, recent tests showed. The attorney general said the case was a warning against the use of the death penalty, which hasn't been imposed in Australia since 1967. More »

Texas Governor Rick Perry speaks at a press conference in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, November 6, 2002. "After carefully considering the facts of this case, along with the recommendation from the Board...   (KRT Photos)
This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Kenneth Foster. Hours before his scheduled execution, the getaway driver in a 1996 murder was spared Thursday, Aug....   (Associated Press)
Texas governor Rick Perry addresses the crowd in this May 11, 2007 photo.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Democracy Now reports on the story of Kenneth Foster.   (donovonc (YouTube))

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Texas • death penalty • capital punishment • execution • death row • death sentence


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »