Detailed Notes on Death Penalty Execution Process in Texas

Execution Process in Texas

  • Due dates for assignments are Mondays and Fridays, reasons discussed in the Texas class.
  • All male inmates are held at the Polanski Unit (45 minutes from Huntsville).
  • Women are held near Dallas at the Mountain View Unit (name recently changed).
  • There are approximately 8 women on death row in Texas and around 200 men.
  • On execution day:
    • Inmate wakes up and visits with family/friends until lunchtime.
    • A van takes the inmate from the Polonsky Unit to the Huntsville Unit around 1 p.m.
    • Executions are scheduled for 6 p.m. in Texas.
  • Both the judicial branch (appeals) and the executive branch (Governor) can intervene until 5:40 p.m.
  • Governor Greg Abbott can intervene in Texas executions; the President can intervene in federal executions.
  • Inmates are placed in the "Death House," a building with cells, after fingerprinting and searching.
  • The execution chamber door remains shut from the holding cell.
  • The distance from the holding cell to the execution chamber is about seven steps.
  • In the holding cell, inmates can:
    • Receive and make calls to approved contacts.
    • Have one visit from either a spiritual advisor or their attorney.
    • Receive a last meal.
    • Write a last statement (or deliver it verbally in the execution chamber).
  • At approximately 5:30 p.m., the warden makes two calls:
    • To the Governor's office: Is the Governor going to issue clemency (commute the sentence to life without parole)?
    • To the marshal of the court: Is the Supreme Court going to issue a stay of execution?
  • If both answers are no, the warden informs the inmate it is time.
  • An extraction team of five correctional officers escorts the inmate to the execution chamber.
  • 99% of inmates walk on their own; 1% are carried due to physical or emotional distress.
  • Inmates are strapped to the gurney in under ten seconds.
  • An IV team inserts IVs in both arms.
  • The inmate is covered with a sheet up to their neck.
  • Witnesses are escorted in:
    • Five for the condemned.
    • Five for the victim.
    • Administrative personnel (Texas Ranger, media representative, victim assistance officer).
  • The inmate delivers a last statement (usually 1-2 minutes, clean language).
  • The inmate signals the warden when ready.
  • The warden hits a clicker, signaling the drug team to start the chemicals flowing.
  • The inmate is pronounced deceased.

Bart Whitaker Case (02/2018)

  • Bart Whitaker hired a hitman to kill his family.
  • Whitaker lied to his parents about attending Sam Houston State University and took money from them and hired the hitman for a planned graduation celebration ambush.
  • The hitman killed Whitaker’s mother and brother and nearly killed the father.
  • Whitaker was extradited and tried under the Texas law of parties.
  • He was found guilty and sentenced to death.
  • Whitaker's father pleaded with the Board of Pardon and Parole and Governor Abbott.
  • At 5:23 p.m. on the execution day, Governor Abbott intervened and commuted Whitaker's sentence to life without parole.

Other Considerations

  • Texas does not halt executions in the execution chamber after strapping the inmate down.
  • There is no clock in the death house to prevent more mental anguish.
  • In other countries, the appeal process is quicker (approximately 90 days).
  • Philosophical debate exists regarding the speed and number of appeals (balance between efficiency and ensuring accuracy).

Methods of Execution

  • The primary method is lethal injection (used in all 27 states with the death penalty).
  • Lethal injection typically involves a three-drug cocktail:
    • First drug: puts the inmate in an unconscious state (works within seconds, similar to anesthesia).
    • Second drug: shuts down vital organ systems.
    • Third drug: induces a fatal heart attack.
  • The process takes about 3-3.5 minutes with unconsciousness occurring rapidly.
  • A stoplight system is used to monitor the drug flow (red to green as each drug is administered).
  • Texas uses a one-drug cocktail that performs all three actions simultaneously.
    • The drug's source cannot be disclosed for security reasons, likely a compounding pharmacy in Huntsville.
  • Other historical methods include hanging, firing squad, electric chair, and gas chamber.

Historical Context

  • Prior to the formation of the U.S., stoning or pressing were used (e.g., Giles Corey).

Alternative Execution Methods

  • Firing Squad:
    • Inmate strapped to a chair with a hood and target.
    • Five firearms aimed, not all loaded.
  • Hanging:
    • Older method.
  • Gas Chamber:
    • Historically involved cyanide gas causing organ implosion.
    • Modern method uses pure nitrogen causing suffocation.
  • Electric Chair:
    • Texas previously used the electric chair (nicknamed "Old Sparky").
    • Could be reinstated by petition. All executions in Texas are now by lethal injection (since 1992).

Escapes From Death Row

  • The Gurule escape:
    • Inmates wrapped themselves in magazines and newspapers to scale barbed wire fences.
    • Some inmates were shot during the escape, and others were later captured.
  • The Carrasco siege:
    • Trustee inmates smuggled weapons hidden in food for correctional officers and wardens.
    • Inmates took hostages and attempted to shoot their way out of the prison but were caught.