Troy Kunkle

Those of you familiar with Troy Kunkle or familiar with the 2004 execution schedule may have expected to see Kunkle name in italics in this posting. I'm happy to say that I am hopeful we will never seen Kunkle's name in italics on my website. The United States Supreme Court once again "smacked down" (as David Elliot is fond of saying) the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Forty minutes after when Kunkle was supposed to have been killed, the USSC stayed his execution. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court indefinitely blocked Kunkle's appointment to die.

Kunkle's execution was stopped in large part because of the other recent rulings by the United States Supreme Court which indicated the Court's dismay at the penalty process in Texas. Kunkle's lawyers had argued before the court that his execution should be stopped because jurors in Kunkle's penalty phase had not been allowed to consider relevant information about Kunkle's troubled past.

Death row inmate's execution halted again