Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Bobby Moore: Texas; On death row for 1980 killing, earlier today (November 20, 2016) his lawyers asked The U.S. Supreme Court to spare his life on the basis that the test applied by the State of Texas to determine whether people with intellectual disabilities can be executed does not conform with more current medical standards..."The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals later confined the assessment of Moore’s intellectual capacity to the 1992 manual. This assessment included a finding that Moore has scored in the mid-70s on IQ tests. The manual has since been updated, and more current medical standards de-emphasize rigid IQ scores and place greater weight on the individual’s real-world abilities to adapt and function. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer both joined Kagan and Sotomayor on Tuesday in sounding sympathetic to Moore’s case. “You’ve made very good arguments for your client,” Breyer told Sloan."..."The argument Tuesday was the second involving a Texas death-row inmate to be heard this term. In October, justices sounded sympathetic to a separate, and relatively narrow, challenge brought by Duane Edward Buck. A jury in 1996 convicted Buck of killing two people and wounding his step-sister, and he was sentenced to death after a psychologist summoned by his own defense attorney concluded that being “‘Black’ was a ‘statistical factor’” that increased the probability that Buck would commit future acts of violence. In keeping with his standard practice, Justice Clarence Thomas did not speak or ask questions during oral argument for either of the Texas cases. He is, however, a reliable vote to uphold death sentences as a general matter. Decisions in both cases are expected by the end of next June."


QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He couldn’t tell the days of the week. He couldn’t tell the months of the year; couldn’t tell time... (Moore) “was eating out of garbage cans repeatedly and getting sick after each time he did it, but not learning from his mistakes.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor;

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STORY: "Texas; On death row for 1980 killing, Texas inmate asks Supreme Court to spare him," by reporter Michael Doyle, published by McClatchy on Novemeber 29, 2016.

PHOTO CAPTION: "The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments over whether Moore was ineligible for execution because he’s intellectually disabled.


Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article117744653.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article117744653.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.