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TDS Capital Trial Project Director, John Niland Honored by the New York Criminal Bar Association
The Robert Louis Cohen Award for Professional Excellence was presented to TDS attorney and Capital Trial Project Director, John Niland by the Honorable Patrick E. Higginbotham. Judge Higginbotham praised Mr. Niland's efforts at reducing the number of death sentences in Texas through educating trial lawyers.
NYCBA past-president Anthony Ricco spoke movingly about how much he has learned about capital defense from Mr. Niland and his "quiet, humble wisdom." Awards ceremony attendees thanked and praised Mr. Niland by stating " . . . for all of the good work that you're doing in Texas, you are an inspiration."
What is Happening in Texas ....
Although
the number of executions throughout the U.S. has generally been
declining over the last five years, the percentage of executions
carried out by Texas has not abated, but increased. In the modern era
of the death penalty (1976 to the present),
Texas has been
responsible for more than one-third of all executions. Notably, between
2002 and 2006, Texas was responsible for 40% of the executions in the
nation. In 2007, the upward trend in the percentage of U.S. executions
carried out by Texas continued, with 26 of the 42 executions taking
place in Texas. Texas accounted for 50% of the U.S. executions in 2008,
with 18 inmates executed, including two foreign nationals who were
denied their rights to consular access. Our litigation team is focused
on the issues of poor state court trial and habeas representation,
mental illness, mental retardation, and the use of the “future
dangerous” sentencing question as the legal issues presenting the
greatest likelihood of viability in the coming years to
reform the criminal justice system in Texas.
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