|
|
| Lawmaker: British Death Row Inmate in Texas Is Innocent |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 02/04/2003 |
|
A British lawmaker said Monday that fresh evidence proves that a British man due to be executed in Texas this week is innocent. John 'Jackie' Elliott has spent 15 years on death row for the 1986 rape and murder of 18-year-old Joyce Munguia in East Austin, Texas, and is due to die Tuesday by lethal injection. He is being held at Polunsky Prison, near Livingston, Texas. John Gummer, a Conservative member of Britain's Parliament and a former Cabinet minister, said Elliott was unfairly tried. 'I've become more and more convinced that he is innocent,' Gummer told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. 'Last-minute work is being done to see if we can get the sentence commuted.' Elliott, who has dual U.S.-British nationality, is hoping for clemency from the Texas Pardons and Paroles Board after an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court failed. His lawyers are also seeking a hearing to study DNA evidence. Gummer, who represents the constituency where Elliott was born in 1960, said a new witness had emerged in the last few days with testimony claiming Elliott is innocent. He said the witness attributed the murder to one of Elliott's co-defendants, who testified against Elliott and received a lighter sentence. Gummer also said Elliott's trial was unfair because he had an inexperienced lawyer, and added it was 'outrageous' that no DNA tests were taken at the time of the trial. 'Even if you believe in capital punishment, you have to be absolutely sure that you have got the right person,' he said. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw last Thursday phoned the Texas Pardons and Paroles Board and asked it to commute Elliott's death sentence to a prison term. Britain abolished capital punishment in 1965. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Do you know someone who has been arrested in Waco or McLennan County? It’s important to find a good Waco lawyer to represent you in the matter involving your own liberty. Look for the best gerald villarrial that you can find. Whether you have been accused rightly or wrongly, it’s important to know your legal rights that concern whether you go to jail.