 In a very bizarre case, a death row inmate was unable to file for appeal after his lawyer's computer began acting up. On the day in which he was to be executed, Presiding Judge Sharon Keller decided to not accept a filing for appeal after 5:00PM, even though a number of personnel stayed after. Turns out, a "severe computer problem" hindered Mr. Michael Richard's lawyers from being able to print and deliver the paperwork before the Judge-established deadline, thus eliminating his ability to receive a stay of execution. Of note, the legal team stated that they could have still had the documentation sent in before 5:00PM if e-mailed filings were acceptable. As expected, the director of the Texas Civil Rights Project is already thinking about "filing a complaint with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct about Keller."[Via TheRegister] |