Tag Archives: Court of Criminal Appeals

Court Denies Rodney Reed’s Request for DNA Testing

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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

The Austin American Statesman reports:

Texas’ highest criminal court Wednesday denied death row inmate Rodney Reed’s request for DNA testing on items related to the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop County.

The 8-0 decision by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said the possibility of cross-contamination limited the usefulness of many of the items Reed wanted tested, and results from other items would not have resulted in his acquittal.

The court also said that Rodney failed to prove that the request for testing “was not for the purpose of unreasonable delay”, a claim insulting on its face, but especially because this court waited more than two years to make this ruling.

This denial is disheartening, but it is separate from Rodney’s habeas petition also filed in February of 2015, based on new forensic evidence, that contests the timeline of the version of events claimed by the State.

Follow the We Demand Justice facebook page for calls to action and next steps.
https://www.facebook.com/texasinjustice/

The CCA’s full opinion can be read here.

 

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JUSTICE JAM: Community BBQ to Free Rodney Reed

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Rodney Reed and his supporters are still waiting on a ruling from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA). It’s been five months since the CCA put the brakes on Rodney’s scheduled execution while it decides if it will hear the explosive new evidence brought forward by Rodney’s lawyers; it seems that the wheels of Texas justice turn very slowly.

But while the CCA stays silent, Rodney’s legal team and supporters continue our work to win his freedom. Join us in Rodney’s hometown of Bastrop for an afternoon of music and Texas BBQ in support of Rodney Reed. Featuring performances by: Kalu James, Las Krudas Cubensi, an original song written for Rodney performed by Rodney’s cousins, and a DJ set by Rodney’s brother Richard Reed.

If you can’t make it to Bastrop but would like to support the event,  please make a donation online

justice jam flyer

Suggested donation $10 (or more!). Donations are on a sliding scale and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. To buy a ticket (or make a donation) online visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/justice-jam-a-community-bbq-for-rodney-reed-tickets-17502129340

Money raised will go to Rodney’s legal defense fund and support campaign materials. See you in the park!

JUSTICE JAM: COMMUNITY BBQ TO FREE RODNEY REED
Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 4:00PM. Bastrop, TX
Kerr Community Center, Bastrop, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/events/858037530956659/

Ball in the CCA’s Court: the struggle continues for Rodney Reed

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A new piece from the Campaign to End the Death Penalty outlines the current status of the case of Rodney Reed and describes all the hard work by activists, lawyers, filmmakers, investigators and journalists that lead the recent stay of execution and the uncovering of new evidence.

Lily Hughes, national director of the CEDP, clarifies where Rodney’s case is in the Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA):

Although Rodney has been given a stay of execution, the fight is far from over. The Court has agreed to look at Rodney’s new appeal, but there are no guarantees of a favorable ruling. One possibility is that the court could look at the evidence and opt to deny relief, as they have done in the past.

Another possibility is that the CCA could order a new trial. This wouldn’t be unwelcome to Rodney and his supporters. However, if the evidence of innocence is strong enough to warrant a new trial, then it would make better sense for the court to reverse the conviction altogether.

The best possible outcome from the CCA would be a reversal of Rodney’s conviction and for Rodney to be released from prison. In this event, the Bastrop County district attorney could still opt to take Rodney to trial again, in which case activists should demand that the DA drop Rodney’s indictment completely.

The article is a great comprehensive of the history of the campaign to demand justice for Rodney, a campaign that continues!

The various options before the Court make the ongoing activist campaign for Rodney paramount. Rodney’s family and supporters are prepared to carry on the fight. As Rodney’s brother Rodrick Reed said at a rally in February, “If we don’t stand up today, we’re going to lay down tomorrow for anything they’re going to make us lay down for. And I ain’t a laying down kind of guy. I’m a fighter, I come from a family of fighters!”

This site will be updated as soon as the Court issues a ruling.

A rally for justice outside the Texas State Capitol in February 2015

A rally for justice outside the Texas State Capitol in February 2015

Sandra and Rodrick Reed address a crowd outside the Texas Governors Mansion in February, 2015. Photo by Jaynna Sims

Sandra and Rodrick Reed address a crowd outside the Texas Governors Mansion in February, 2015. Photo by Jaynna Sims

Review of Rodney Reed case begins; protest of Court scheduled for Mar.28

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Details are few, but Fox reports that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) will begin its review of Rodney’s case. A ruling as to whether the court will accept the affidavits filed on February 12 by Rodney’s defense is expected sometime in April. Rodney’s supporters will remind the CCA that the world is still watching this case with a protest on Saturday, March 28. Protesters will gather outside the CCA building in Austin at 1:00 PM to demand freedom for Rodney Reed.

Rodney Reed was granted a stay by the CCA just ten days before his scheduled execution of March 5th, in a 6-3 vote. This temporary reprieve is a victory for Rodney’s family and the hundreds of thousands of people who believe Rodney’s case is a gross miscarriage of justice. However, Rodney remains on death row, spending 23 hours each day in a 6ft x 10ft cell. Conditions on Texas death row are among the harshest in the United States, with prisoners kept in near solitary confinement. This has been Rodney’s reality for almost 18 years. The CCA has the power to allow DNA testing in Rodney’s case and we must demand they do this, and do it quickly.