Ta, Robyn. This country will not join the civilized world until we abolish the death penalty. It's obscene that so many innocents have been put to death.
Australia's recently seen the vindication of Kathleen Folbigg, who was convicted in 2003 for the serial murder of her four children. They'd all died in the 90s, shortly after their births, with no apparent COD. At first it was put down to SIDS, but the repeated deaths convinced authorities Kathleen was killing them. A reasonable assumption - no family loses four babies in eight years to SIDS.
They DO, however, lose them to a rare genetic condition that wasn't known at the time. Ms. Folbigg's conviction was quashed in 2023.
She's just the latest of several high profile murder convictions reversed over the years. Australia can offer some sort of reparation because we don't have the death penalty.
Someone prescribed PHENERGAN to a baby? For over two decades I have been assigned those red-alert allergy warning bracelets for every medical procedure; one of the three drugs listed on my wrist is phenergan--but only because as an adult, I was able to tell my doctors about the terrifying reactions this drug induced in me.
NO BABY CAN DO THAT. If Roberson's daughter had a similar reaction, she would have died with it: in terror, feverish and suffering beyond belief. That is malpractice. Sentencing her father to death is a fucking shitty, and I might add un-Christian (Ken Paxton, that's for you), way to cover it up.
I think it is totally shameful that the Federal "Supreme Court" felt that it just couldn't intervene, so sad, to protect the life & liberty of a citizen because that would offend Texas' precious STATE'S RIGHTS. I heard Sotomayor wrote a sorrowful letter, bless her heart, I haven't found it yet.
Is there anything Congress can do legislatively to unfuck these Supreme Court decisions? I mean, you’d think a “Don’t Execute Innocent People” Act would be a no brainer.
I feel good this morning because I signed 2 Roberson petitions and called Abbott's office and I give money to Innocence Project...all of these are good things to do, sorta! Even as I was doing those things, as I do for any and all on death row, I knew my efforts were somewhat meaningless. It takes the legal and legislative creativity of people beyond my small efforts to get these executions halted and sometimes even that doesn't work. We must stop the death penalty entirely!! I am amazed that in a world where people agree that there is lying and corruption and shitty mistakes happening, some people believe that the ONE thing they can count on is that the execution process is right and pure and and must not be doubted!! Yikes!! 😳
I hate to be that guy (proceeds immediately to be that guy), but the other three, Williams, Littlejohn and Owens were all black. Roberson is white. One of my biggest issues with capital punishment is how marginalized communities are disproportionally impacted. Also, that it's state-sanctioned murder, but I digress. I'm glad he's gotten a reprieve.
I’m “that guy” too. There have been numerous studies indicating how even subconscious bias can result in defendants receiving harsher penalties. Even when comparing two African-American defendants, the one with darker skin or a wider nose is more likely to get the death penalty.
I hope the evidence against this man gets reviewed and he is set free. He committed no crime, other than being too poor to afford a good lawyer, which is good enough to get you sent to death row. We executed Cameron Todd Willingham on junk science.
Great law! I just have a minor complaint about the name. This case is a good example; Roberson wasn't convicted on the basis of "fiber science" or polygraph tests or some other voodoo. He was convicted because not enough was known about Phenergan risks. (Or alternatively, because the FDA moved so damned slowly on that and codeine risks.) Either way, it was a matter of learning more from our mistakes, which is (or should be) inherent in science.
Speaking of Codeine, they used to put that stuff in children's medicine, my body would reject it immediately, like the second it went down it came right back up and out. It's the only thing I put on the "Are you allergic to any medicine" question at the doctors office. Allergic might not be the correct term for me and codeine, but suffice it to say I can't have any.
"Shaken Baby Syndrome" itself is in dispute. You raise good points about the drug harms not being well known by the time of the trial, but there's also actual junk science at play here.
https://substack.com/@clayjak/note/c-157669589?r=9qphz&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
What a complete and total tragedy. I am glad he has not been actually murdered.
Ta, Robyn. This country will not join the civilized world until we abolish the death penalty. It's obscene that so many innocents have been put to death.
Australia's recently seen the vindication of Kathleen Folbigg, who was convicted in 2003 for the serial murder of her four children. They'd all died in the 90s, shortly after their births, with no apparent COD. At first it was put down to SIDS, but the repeated deaths convinced authorities Kathleen was killing them. A reasonable assumption - no family loses four babies in eight years to SIDS.
They DO, however, lose them to a rare genetic condition that wasn't known at the time. Ms. Folbigg's conviction was quashed in 2023.
She's just the latest of several high profile murder convictions reversed over the years. Australia can offer some sort of reparation because we don't have the death penalty.
Texas is a fucked up place.
They won't. He's a dead man, Texas demands it's blood tithe...
This could end Ken Paxton's career!
Someone prescribed PHENERGAN to a baby? For over two decades I have been assigned those red-alert allergy warning bracelets for every medical procedure; one of the three drugs listed on my wrist is phenergan--but only because as an adult, I was able to tell my doctors about the terrifying reactions this drug induced in me.
NO BABY CAN DO THAT. If Roberson's daughter had a similar reaction, she would have died with it: in terror, feverish and suffering beyond belief. That is malpractice. Sentencing her father to death is a fucking shitty, and I might add un-Christian (Ken Paxton, that's for you), way to cover it up.
Jesus, I didn't realize until I looked it up that Phenergan is the brand name for promethazine. Absolutely insane malpractice to give that to a baby.
.... I really like the Legislature getting involved here, very creative. Go POPULAR ASSEMBLY!! Article 1!!
I think it is totally shameful that the Federal "Supreme Court" felt that it just couldn't intervene, so sad, to protect the life & liberty of a citizen because that would offend Texas' precious STATE'S RIGHTS. I heard Sotomayor wrote a sorrowful letter, bless her heart, I haven't found it yet.
Is there anything Congress can do legislatively to unfuck these Supreme Court decisions? I mean, you’d think a “Don’t Execute Innocent People” Act would be a no brainer.
Even in Texas.
SBS
You're wrong about
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270/episodes/3884048-shaken-baby-syndrome
Gee, I wonder white… I mean why they’re being so merciful.
I feel good this morning because I signed 2 Roberson petitions and called Abbott's office and I give money to Innocence Project...all of these are good things to do, sorta! Even as I was doing those things, as I do for any and all on death row, I knew my efforts were somewhat meaningless. It takes the legal and legislative creativity of people beyond my small efforts to get these executions halted and sometimes even that doesn't work. We must stop the death penalty entirely!! I am amazed that in a world where people agree that there is lying and corruption and shitty mistakes happening, some people believe that the ONE thing they can count on is that the execution process is right and pure and and must not be doubted!! Yikes!! 😳
I hate to be that guy (proceeds immediately to be that guy), but the other three, Williams, Littlejohn and Owens were all black. Roberson is white. One of my biggest issues with capital punishment is how marginalized communities are disproportionally impacted. Also, that it's state-sanctioned murder, but I digress. I'm glad he's gotten a reprieve.
I’m “that guy” too. There have been numerous studies indicating how even subconscious bias can result in defendants receiving harsher penalties. Even when comparing two African-American defendants, the one with darker skin or a wider nose is more likely to get the death penalty.
No, by all means, be “that guy.”
Whew..I didn't wanna that person either but that struck me as well.
I hope the evidence against this man gets reviewed and he is set free. He committed no crime, other than being too poor to afford a good lawyer, which is good enough to get you sent to death row. We executed Cameron Todd Willingham on junk science.
the Junk Science Writ
Great law! I just have a minor complaint about the name. This case is a good example; Roberson wasn't convicted on the basis of "fiber science" or polygraph tests or some other voodoo. He was convicted because not enough was known about Phenergan risks. (Or alternatively, because the FDA moved so damned slowly on that and codeine risks.) Either way, it was a matter of learning more from our mistakes, which is (or should be) inherent in science.
Speaking of Codeine, they used to put that stuff in children's medicine, my body would reject it immediately, like the second it went down it came right back up and out. It's the only thing I put on the "Are you allergic to any medicine" question at the doctors office. Allergic might not be the correct term for me and codeine, but suffice it to say I can't have any.
"Shaken Baby Syndrome" itself is in dispute. You raise good points about the drug harms not being well known by the time of the trial, but there's also actual junk science at play here.