Death penalty

The jailhouse informant can have quite an influence on the outcome of a trail. Frequently prosecutors rely on the accounts of prisoners who happen to hear incriminating claims of a defendant on trial. However, sometimes their testimony helps convict an innocent man in an effort to get a sweetheart deal. Investigative reporter Pamela Colloff tells the story of a classic jailhouse snitch and the lives he destroyed in her new book "Catch the Devil."

The court's action means Victor Saldaño is likely to be executed even though both defense and state experts determined he was not eligible for execution under the law.

In a dramatic turnaround, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday ordered a halt to the execution of death row inmate Robert Roberson which was scheduled to take place in seven days.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has blocked the execution of Robert Roberson a week before it was scheduled to occur.

The Autism Society of Texas and the Autism Society of America have issued an open letter urging Texas officials to stop the scheduled October 16 execution of Robert Roberson, a man with autism who was sentenced to death in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki.

The Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences is calling on Texas authorities to prevent what they say is the wrongful execution of Robert Roberson. Roberson is scheduled to die on October 16.

His attorneys have filed an emergency motion to stay the October 16 execution, arguing that the Court of Criminal Appeals must first resolve his innocence claims.

In Texas and many other states, lethal injection is used for executions. The new book Secrets of the Killing State by Corinna Barrett Lain pulls back the curtain of secrecy surrounding lethal injection. The author claims there is gross incompetence by woefully inept executioners and a state indifference to the fate of the condemned.

Victims and families of the people who died in the 2019 attack offered impact testimonies as trial ends. "I have no more room for hate in my heart," said Yvonne Gonzalez, who lost her parents.

The new year could be a year of increased use of the death penalty across the United States which contrasts with how 2024 was a year that saw big gains in the effort to reduce executions. On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reinstating and expanding the use of the federal death penalty.