Rick Perry Responds To Duane Buck Supreme Court Decision, Defends Texas Justice System

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry -- who as Texas governor has overseen the execution of 235 convicted killers -- said Friday that he “respects” the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the execution of Duane Buck, a black man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her male acquaintance in Texas in 1995.

While Buck's lawyers aren't questioning his guilt, they contended his sentence was unfair because of statements made about his race during his trial. His attorneys appealed to both the Supreme Court and Perry to block his impending execution, saying a psychologist testified that black people were more likely to commit violence.

Politico reports Perry expressed support for the Supreme Court decision on Friday, speaking to reporters after touring a Coca-Cola bottling factory in Iowa.

“I won’t venture a guess what the Supreme Court will decide on this one, but it will go forward and justice will be served,” Perry said. "They are taking the appropriate path in my opinion and justice will be served at some point in the future.”

He also defended Texas' appeals process, saying "we have a process of justice in the state of Texas that I have full confidence in."

“We have a clear appeals process that is followed in every case. Whether or not you agree with the appeal or not is your call,” he said. “I have full confidence that people have their full and open right to a jury trial, to an appellate process and to any other appeals that are appropriate. In the state of Texas, we believe in our form of justice, we think it’s appropriate.”

The Supreme Court reprieve came nearly two hours into a six-hour window when Buck could have been taken to the death chamber. The high court said it stopped the punishment so it could further look at the request from Buck's attorneys.

 

 

Comments

[biabouman41]

04:12 PM on 10/28/2011

Everytime you turn around someone is being executed in Texas, rightly or wrongly.
There have been innocent people executed. But it makes no difference to Perry provided he appears like a tough guy who can order the killing of Somali pirates, or the removal of many al Queda activists, or the elimination of al Awlaki, or the finding and elimination ot Osam Bin Laden.
Did I hear you say all that has been done?
Then its just a matter of getting the memo to Perry and others.
Done.

[Djay0252]

09:35 AM on 09/19/2011

Just another example of dual personality Republicanism....Where' the Thorazine?

[alafonse]

03:13 PM on 09/18/2011

I read a lot about compassionate conservatism and right to life. I find it unbelievably ironic that these are the same people who cheer for executions and for allowing people to die without medical insurance.
It appears the republicans have a base that is at least partially composed of people who have split personalities....how did we end up with all of these right-wing schizophrenics in our country?

[Adamcs]

12:02 PM on 09/19/2011

They want to play God. They want to decide who gets born and who dies. It's that simple.

[one09flat04]

02:49 PM on 09/18/2011

We have heard conclusive hearsay evidence in both current cases but that is the problem! While we are not against justifiable death sentences in the case of murder we are concerned with the widespread errors and mal feasance in prosecutions! That alone leads to our being opposed to the death sentences and their finality! Roland C. Woodaka

[William J Unverferth Sr]

08:58 PM on 09/18/2011

"We have heard conclusive hearsay evidence"? no such thing. if it's hearsay, it's not good evidence.

[BlairCase]

12:06 PM on 09/18/2011

California, Florida and Texas, the three most populous states, have the largest death row populations. California has 714 prisoners on death role while Florida has 399 and Texas has 313. Pennsylvania is fourth with 213 on death row. Calfornia seems to execute fewer death row inmates than Texas because its appeals process is so slow and cumbersome. In Texas, the appeals process has been streamlined and automated. People convicted of crimes are guranteed a speedy appeal. This is good, except it tends to reduce the time between sentencing and executions. As the appeals process runs it course, California will execute more people than Texas. Executions are actually proportionatley higher in some smaller states. For example, in 1998, Virginia executed 13 while Texas executed 20. Virginia has about 8 million people while Texas has 25 million.

[Eris23Skidoo]

01:59 PM on 09/18/2011

Thanks for the perspective.

[721]

10:25 AM on 09/18/2011

Rick Perry if given the chance would run the U.S. just like he runs Texas...out of the wild west. The last thing this country needs at a time like this is an inexperienced bull headed unintelligent narrow minded politician who sees everything through an extreme religious view. The majority of voters will see Perry for who he really is and how unqualified he is to be president when the race really gets into full swing. Like his former Texan predecessor, he can't talk and chew gum at the same time.

[McKMN]

10:20 AM on 09/18/2011

" In the state of Texas, we believe in our form of justice, we think it’s appropriate.”

Well that's nice, but do you happen to care what we, in the rest of the United States, believe in?

[BlairCase]

11:14 AM on 09/18/2011

In favoring the death sentence, Perry agrees with the majority of Americans. A recent Rasmussen telephone poll from June 2-3, 2010 found that 62% of Adults favor the death penalty, while 26% oppose it. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. Gallop polls also show Americans overwhemingly favor capital punishment. Obama is also on record supporting the death penalty. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/national-polls-and-studies#rasjune. As a candidate for national office, Perry obviously cares what Americans outside od Texas think. That why he emphasizes his support of the death penalty.
.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:00 PM on 09/18/2011

The rest of us are not in favor of putting a man to death if his trial was polluted with racism as a justification for killing him.

[BlairCase]

03:29 PM on 09/18/2011

The racial statistics in the Buck case were introduced into evidence by the defense team. They were part of a report ther denfense team entered into evidence. The prosecution asked the psychologist who authored the report one question about the statistics. Since the pyschologist testified on behalf of the defnse and said that he did not consider Buck to be a future danger, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles reasoned that the jury did not based its sentencing on the pyschologist's testimony. Many people think the jury was influenced by the nature of the double murder, testimony that revealed Buck had been guilty of violence toward women on previous occasions, and the fact that he committed the crime while still on probabtion. He had been paroled after completed only one year of a prison sentence.

[WiltonDiary]

08:12 AM on 09/18/2011

Having an interest in national government that’s mainly limited to disliking it might work fine if you’re the governor of a state that has always regarded itself as “low-tax, low-service” anyway. It’s a little more problematic if you’re the guy in charge of keeping the dollar stable, the food supply safe and the national defense ready.

We could live with a president who named his boots “Freedom” and “Liberty.”

Not sure about one who has contempt for the job he’s running for.

[McKMN]

10:21 AM on 09/18/2011

Already a fan so here's a X2.

[Justtheobvious]

08:11 AM on 09/18/2011

Pro life?!?!?

Really just Pro De.ath.

[MaryscottOConnor]

07:44 AM on 09/18/2011

Great. So while this guy -- who obvious got an unfair trial but is -- apparently -- guilty... gets a stay...

TROY DAVIS, who OBVIOUSLY got an UNFAIR trial and is OBVIOUSLY ALSO INNOCENT...

is going to fry. Metaphorically... but let's say it, because he's going to die.

Or did he ALREADY die while we were all busy talking about Buck?

Damn it.

[aggie95]

07:35 AM on 09/18/2011

I concur .....stay out of Texas its bad for ya .....everything there will bite ya ....stab ya or stick ya .....the heat in summer will scorch ya .....the cold in winter will freeze ya ....if the critters don't get ya or the weather then we'll posion ya or execute ya and if you avoid that then you'll work 20 hours a day at minimum wage with no health coverage neck deep in toxic muck of some sort and if you some how manage to survive all them then just for giggles God is going to chuck a tornado or hurricane or if esecially cranky.... both..... with a flood thrown in to boot ....yep you liberals need to stay away from Texas

[WiltonDiary]

08:14 AM on 09/18/2011

The occupational hazard of democracy is know-nothing voters. It shouldn’t be know-nothing candidates.

[aggie95]

08:16 AM on 09/18/2011

So tell me how well the supposed smartest guy in the room is doing

[imax5]

05:40 PM on 09/18/2011

Written by a real Texan!

[IMOnotyours]

07:49 PM on 10/28/2011

aggie95 is what is wrong with Texas now. There were way better times in Texas, during our lovely Ann Richard days, hell GWB was a better governor than Perry. On the republican watch our kids have really been dumbed down.

[luapmi2]

06:52 AM on 09/18/2011

Even the novice knows that there are three possible outcomes in hypothesis testing. In this context: convict a guilty man (correct decsion), free a guilty man (error) and convict an innocent man (error). Two of the three decisions are erroneous.

That being said, it is rather remarkable that people are mortified that mistakes are made. It is sad how ignorant the general populace is.

[WiltonDiary]

08:15 AM on 09/18/2011

What is even sadder is how ignorant voters are in Texas.

[luapmi2]

08:43 AM on 09/18/2011

Because YOU don't agree with them?

A rather remarkable display of arrogance.

[Knothare1230]

11:46 AM on 09/18/2011

This has nothing to do with his guilt-so none of the outcomes you mentioned will happen. There is only two outcomes that is available.One life in prison with no chance of parole or death.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:14 PM on 09/18/2011

If he had been a white defendant, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. He was convicted of being black while murdering someone. That carries a heavier sentence, in the state of Texas, than being white while murdering someone. And Rick Perry is just fine with that because he thinks the justice system in Texas is perfect and flawless. He trusts in it completely.

[Tim The Enchanter]

06:49 AM on 09/18/2011

A study shows that the statement of the psychologist is true -

http://tpj.sagepub.com/content/89/3/309.abstract

[luapmi2]

09:11 AM on 09/18/2011

SInce when does political correctness have anything to do with truth?

I would assert they are often diametrically opposed. We want to be careful not to offend the criminals, perverts and other societal fringe members.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:16 PM on 09/18/2011

So your assumption is that all black folks are criminals, perverts and other societal fringe members and therefore you can make blanket statements about every black person in America and anyone who calls you on your racist blanket statements is "politically correct"? What if we are simply calling you out as a freaking racist who needs to go back to Nazi Germany because your racist attitude is NOT welcome in America!

[Alverene Dixon Butler]

07:54 PM on 10/28/2011

And what race were the one's who conducted this study?........EXACTLY!!

[Tim The Enchanter]

06:46 AM on 09/18/2011

Although, this racial thing is still overblown, here's what actually happened -

"As usual, this is a total distortion of the truth. In the first place, as stated, there is no controversy over Buck’s conviction; he was found fit to plead, and was convicted on compelling evidence. Secondly, at his trial, a defense psychologist testified that he did not believe Buck would be a future danger based on several factors, primarily that he had no prior violent criminal record, and did not display violent tendencies.
On cross-examination, Dr. Walter Quijano was asked the following question:
“You have determined that the sex factor, that a male is more violent than a female because that’s just the way it is, and that the race factor, black increases the future dangerousness for various complicated reasons; is that correct?”
To this, the good doctor replied simply “Yes”.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/311638#ixzz1YIdjvYyh

The psychologist was a DEFENSE witness testifying FOR Buck.

The way this is being portrayed, it was the evil Rick Perry that paid a psychiatrist to come in and make up bogus racial accusation in order to send this poor multiple murderer to the same place he sent two other people.

Main stream journalism at its worst.

[aggie95]

07:28 AM on 09/18/2011

Rick Perry was not the Gov when this man was arrested tried conviced or sentenced

[Tim The Enchanter]

07:48 AM on 09/18/2011

Doesn't matter, everything in Texas is now Rick Perry's fault. Just ask a reporter or "liberal".

[Knothare1230]

11:41 AM on 09/18/2011

Ridiculous like a right wing blog writer would actually publish the truth but nice try. Please catch up.
IT WAS THE STATE THAT ASKED THE QUESTION. Hence the words on "Cross examination" Buck's attorney objective and Judge wrongfully overruled it. Also , The fact of the matter is the question is illegal. It should have also being being ruled irrelevant. Since with Bucks plea he had only two choices life without parole or death. The DA framing the argument as if there was a possibility that Buck could be released. Which was also got a proper objection only to be overruled by the judge once again. Since general factors are inaccurate in the face of a Personal factors.

[Tim The Enchanter]

12:41 PM on 09/18/2011

It IS the truth. He does state that it was the cross examination.

The question was poltically incorrect, but the real problem is that the idea that we're trying to predict future behavior rather than punishing past behavior.

The fact that he is black is as good a predicter of future behavior as just about anything else, which is to say, not very good at all.

[Tim The Enchanter]

06:32 AM on 09/18/2011

While I agree that the racial thing was out of bounds and ridiculous, the reality is, he's not getting put to death because he's black, but because he killed two people.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:23 PM on 09/18/2011

If he had been white and committed the exact same crimes in the state of Texas we would not be having this conversation because he would not be on death row due to his whiteness.

[Tim The Enchanter]

05:52 PM on 09/18/2011

Well, someone found out the hard way that you're entirely wrong -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2037187/Texas-executes-Steven-Michael-Woods-double-murder.html