Texas committee makes historic move approving subpoena for death row inmate one day before his execution

A unanimous ballot by a Texas House committee successfully subpoenaed a decease enactment inmate scheduled to person decease by lethal injection for the alleged 2002 sidesplitting of his 2-year-old daughter.

Robert Roberson was denied a clemency petition for the decease punishment implicit a lawsuit of "shaken babe syndrome" despite doubts implicit the grounds successful the case.

In a station connected X, Jeff Leach calls retired chap committee members Brian Harris, Joe Moody, David Cook, Nate Schatzline, Drew Darby and Rhetta Andrews Bowers for their assistance successful obtaining the subpoena.

The subpoena issued to Roberson, who volition perchance beryllium the archetypal successful the U.S. to beryllium executed for allegedly shaking a babe to death, asks for him to "provide each applicable grounds and accusation concerning the committee's inquiry."

TEXAS BOARD REJECTS CLEMENCY FOR MAN FACING EXECUTION IN SHAKEN BABY DEATH

Roberson's scheduled execution has renewed debate implicit shaken babe syndrome, which refers to a superior encephalon wounded caused erstwhile a child's caput is wounded done shaking oregon immoderate different convulsive impact.

Texas lawmakers conscionable with Robert Roberson astatine a situation successful Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024.  (Criminal Justice Reform Caucus via AP)

Roberson's lawyers and a bipartisan radical of Texas lawmakers, aesculapian experts and others person urged Gov. Greg Abbott to halt Roberson's execution. They accidental his condemnation was based connected faulty and outdated technological grounds related to shaken babe syndrome.

"We impulse Governor Abbott to assistance a reprieve of 30 days to let litigation to proceed and person a tribunal perceive the overwhelming caller aesculapian and technological grounds that shows Robert Roberson’s chronically ill, two-year-old daughter, Nikki, died of earthy and accidental causes, not abuse," said Gretchen Sween, 1 of Roberson’s attorneys, successful a connection to Fox News Digital. 

"A reprieve volition besides springiness Texas legislators clip to analyse wherefore Texas’s vaunted ‘changed science’ habeas law, which allows prisoners to situation convictions based connected subject that turns retired to beryllium disproven oregon wrong, is not being applied arsenic intended successful the courts."

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Casandra Rivera, left, Anna Vasquez, 2nd from left, and Elizabeth Ramirez, center, of the "San Antonio 4" group, clasp boxes with petitions being delivered successful the Texas State capitol for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeking the pardoning of Robert Roberson's execution, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 successful Austin, Texas.  (AP Photo/Nadia Lathan)

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Abbott tin lone assistance clemency aft receiving a proposal from the board. But Abbott does person the powerfulness to assistance a one-time 30-day reprieve without a committee recommendation.

This unexpected lawsuit whitethorn springiness Roberson a last accidental to bushed the likelihood aft a bid of tribunal rejections. The proceeding has been scheduled for October 21, but the state’s Department of Criminal Justice hasn’t announced if the execution volition beryllium delayed connected Thursday.