Managing Attorney, Texas Defender Service's Houston Office
Managing Attorney in the Houston Office of the Texas Defender Service, a nonprofit organization with a focus on improving the quality of legal representation for defendants in death penalty cases
Time for a Change in the Death Penalty? Because death is the ultimate penalty—the one that cannot be revoked--the administration of capital punishment is always under review. The US Supreme Court has created a de facto moratorium for the next few months in most states by taking up the constitutionality of states' standards of lethal injection. The American Bar Association says this is the time to review other problems with capital punishment, ranging from investigation to trial and conviction. It's completed a three-year study of eight sample states and concluded that the death-penalty process is "deeply flawed" and "rife with irregularity." Are cops, prosecutors, judges and juries biased in favor of death? Is there racial discrimination? Do poor defendants get good lawyers? We look at the pros and cons.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?