Duane Buck, Texas Death Row Inmate, Refused Supreme Court Appeal

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from a Texas death row inmate who won a last-minute reprieve from the high court in September.

The justices on Monday turned away the appeal of Duane Buck, who wanted them to consider whether race played an improper role in his sentencing.

Buck, who is black, was sentenced to death for the fatal shootings of his ex-girlfriend and a man in her apartment in July 1995. His attorneys contend Buck deserves a new sentencing hearing because of a psychologist's testimony that black people were more likely to commit violence.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he respected the Supreme Court's stay in September at a campaign stop in Iowa for his Republican presidential campaign:

"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."

Five other Texas death row inmates received new punishment hearings because of racially charged statements made during the sentencing phase. Each convict again was sentenced to die.

Perry said in a September Republican debate that he's never lost sleep over an execution during his governorship where he has overseen more executions than any governor in modern history. "But in the state of Texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of Texas, and that is, you will be executed," he said.

Comments

[themightyabealrd]

06:18 PM on 11/07/2011

Well, of course Perry 'has never lost any sleep over an execution during his governorship'. One need not fear so doing if one lacks qualities like remorse and the capacity for self doubt.

[harmonikasavingsbonds]

06:15 PM on 11/07/2011

Just to become the frontrunner, if for at least for 15 minutes, Rick Perry will RUSH to kill this man.

Just watch.

[jesocr]

05:47 PM on 11/07/2011

Some of the things that go on in Texas are appalling. To use such blatantly racist comments is hard to imagine. Really blacks are more likely to commit violence.

[bluntobject]

05:07 PM on 11/07/2011

Republicans just LOVE killing things.

[Bloodhound41]

05:45 PM on 11/07/2011

But they are "PROLIFE".

[Gottlieb]

05:03 PM on 11/07/2011

This smells of the Federalist Society's domination of the US Supreme Court with States Rights ascendant. How do you find Texas from California? You follow the smell east till you reach it, turn right, and when you step in it, you are in Texas.

[KDMac]

04:43 PM on 11/07/2011

"His attorneys contend Buck deserves a new sentencing hearing because of a psychologist's testimony that black people were more likely to commit violence."

What? Seriously??

[p c r]

05:54 PM on 11/07/2011

At the sentencing, the choices were to give the defendant life without parole or the death penalty. A state psychologist, with shoddy credentials, said that he is more likely to commit a future violent act because he is black and deserved the death penalty. Had he been white, it would have been recommended that he recieve life without parole because he is less likely to be violent again.
This is how sentencing works in Texas, and why the rate of execution for blacks is much higher although the number of blacks convicted is lower.
Do you now see the problem with this "logic"?

[KDMac]

09:09 PM on 11/07/2011

I'm amazed that in this day and age anyone feels this way, much less gets away with saying crap like that in a court proceeding.

[dmbraddy]

04:42 PM on 11/07/2011

"never lost sleep over an execution during his governorship"

Every public official who oversees the execution of another human being, whether they support or oppose capital punishment as public policy, should lose sleep. Not doing so suggests callous disregard for human life. To be inured of another human's suffering and death, even for righteous cause, is to be monstrously inhuman and lacking in empathy.

[ThisIsMyUsername3]

03:40 AM on 11/08/2011

But hey, lets abort kids for fun and profit!!!

[walkthewalk]

04:34 PM on 11/07/2011

Perry should amend his statement from, "If you come into Texas and kill…" to "If you come into Texas, and you're found guilty in a courtroom…whether or not there is verifiable proof that you committed the murder…you will be killed.

[La Moore]

05:32 PM on 11/07/2011

Well then, avoiding texas would seem to be prudent.

[bholesurfers]

03:17 PM on 11/07/2011

Perry would nail Jesus to the cross if it got him a vote

[Pushing70]

04:08 PM on 11/07/2011

What a horrible comment

[bluntobject]

05:06 PM on 11/07/2011

You know what..if the nail fits .....The truth hurts sometimes.

[GirlOutWest]

05:42 PM on 11/07/2011

Truth is, the governance in Texas deserves comments like that.

[Gottlieb]

04:53 PM on 11/07/2011

F&F for being so correct but I think comparing Perry to Pontius Pilate is a better fit.

[larryvnyrd]

02:58 PM on 11/07/2011

Now that corporations are legally considered people, how many will stay in Texas?

[dans5843]

02:57 PM on 11/07/2011

This Court Ruling is idiotic. Here in Illinois we discovered dozens of prisoners on Death Row were in fact were inoscent.

We voted out the death penelty state wide

[patricksmom]

05:45 PM on 11/07/2011

But you aren't Texas. I think Texas is home of "MEAN"> Not that every Texan is mean, but there is enough there that it has shaped their politics.

[VFausone]

02:55 PM on 11/07/2011

If he worked for a bank - he'd have never been charged.

[sandeefrancella]

02:55 PM on 11/07/2011

Personhood in Missippi /death penalty in Texas ? What gives ?

[La Moore]

05:36 PM on 11/07/2011

its the arsenic in the water, coupled with chlorine in the water, coupled with a vaccine in the blood, coupled with over 10,000 pesticides in the air. Shake and mix and let settle for a few generations.

sad, but true.

[johuyik]

02:55 PM on 11/07/2011

"you will face the ultimate justice in the state of Texas, and that is, you will be executed,"

Ya, Perry, and if some innocent people are executed while the actual murderer goes free, you just fine with that aren't you?

[patricksmom]

05:46 PM on 11/07/2011

He doesn't lose any sleep.

[madcityy]

02:50 PM on 11/07/2011

HELL,JUST SET HIM FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE