A Texas lawmaker, Rep. Lon Burnam is pushing to impeach a judge on the state's highest criminal appeals court; Judge Sharon Keller. Burnam filed on Monday seeking to start the process against the Court of Criminal Appeals judge for what he interprets as a "neglect of duty" in a death penalty case.
On Sept. 25, 2007 Keller refused to keep the court offices opened after 5p.m. when attorneys for Michael Richard were having computer problems, conflicting the attempt to file his appeals. Keller went ahead and close d the court office despite his attorneys’ request that the court stay open an extra 20 minutes.
Richard was executed that night by lethal injection for the 1986 rape and murder of a Houston-area nurse.
In a statement, Burnam said: "It’s one thing for a banker to close shop at 5 o’clock sharp. But a public official who stands between a human being and the death chamber must be held to a higher standard.
Keller, who is a Republican, has said she was just following the court's long lasting practice to close on time. (seriously?!)
Burnam's resolution calls to the House to investigate Keller and in doing so, if the house finds a cause for the impeachment, the senate would conduct an impeachment trial.
So, the Texas appeals court now allows emergency e-mail appeals in death penalty cases.
(what great timing!)
Related links:
Statesmen:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/02/17/0217legebriefs.html
Blog about Burnam's Resolution:
http://stopexecutions.blogspot.com/2009/02/impeachment-resolution-filed-against.html
Star-Telegram.com's article:
http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1207336.html
Texas Executions Information Site (more details about Micheal Richard's Case):
http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/405.asp
