Saving Lives

Dear Friends,

Since 1995, TDS has saved countless lives, and our life-saving legal representation continues to this day. So far this year, TDS has already stopped two death sentences. Prosecutors had charged two of our clients with capital murder, but—because of our vigorous pretrial advocacy in both cases—they ultimately agreed to seek a lesser punishment.

Our team’s client-centered, compassionate representation protected these two clients from the kind of excessive prosecution that entangled Melissa Lucio, whose execution date was stayed just last week. In 2007, a prosecutor charged Melissa, a pregnant, grieving mother, with capital murder for a crime that never happened: the tragic, accidental death of her toddler. That prosecutor is now serving a 13-year prison sentence for bribery and extortion, but Melissa is still on death row. Melissa—and everyone who loved and advocated for her—had to wait until mere days before her execution date, April 27, to learn that she would not be killed. Melissa’s case is a symptom of a punishment system gone wrong—a punishment system that is cruel and excessive.

Ending cruel and excessive punishment: This is just one of the reasons we have been in the business of saving lives for over 20 years.

With Gratitude,

Burke Butler
Executive Director
Texas Defender Service