How Can She Sleep at Night?

The Curmudgeon is about two weeks late in his indignation this time, but better to rant late than to never have ranted at all.

Sharon Keller. Really that is all that needs to be said.

The Curmudgeon will admit to a couple of moderately liberal beliefs, but deep down we all return to our raising. And the Curmudgeon comes from a long line of West Texas, Southern Baptist, Bible Thumpin’, old –time religion believing curmudgeons. Down deep he believes more in the “eye-for-an-eye” philosophy than he does in the “turn the other cheek.” So he believes the death penalty is a punishment that should be in consideration for certain crimes and certain criminals. But it has to be taken seriously. You don’t get a re-do on this one.

Texas, of course, leads the way when it comes to using the death penalty. We have used it more often than any (maybe all) other state. Our record is not spotless and we have almost certainly executed some innocent men. We have been pretty callous about the process. Our former Governor and the Only President We’ve Got mocked Karla Faye Tucker when she pleaded not to be executed.

“`Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, `don't kill me,' "
Excerpts from The Houston Chronicle August 10, 1999


The State of Texas argued that a man whose attorney repeatedly fell asleep during his trial gave him adequate counsel. The Solicitor General (whose name I won’t mention because he/she gets pissed when I do) told the Curmudgeon that he needed to prove something bad happened because of his attorney sleeping through the trial. The SC did not find the Curmudgeon’s argument of, “Well, he is on DEATH ROW! That is on the something bad happening list,” to be very persuasive.

But now we have Sharon Keller.

A man died on Sept. 25th because Sharon Keller decided that the Court would close promptly at 5:00. Even though the attorneys for Michael Richard had called to notify the Court that their computer had broken down and that they needed about twenty extra minutes. Even though three other justices of the Court of Criminal Appeals were staying late to rule on the matter, didn’t matter.

Sharon Keller closed the clerk’s office without consulting anyone else so that the petition could not be filed. Michael Richard was executed that night. Why? It’s 5 o’clock!! It’s Miller Time!!

Having never been convicted of a felony, nor obtained a law license, the Curmudgeon has never paid much attention to the Court of Criminal Appeals. Apparently neither has anyone else in Texas. How could this happen in 2007? Where did we get a judge like this? We elected her.

The Curmudgeon knows that the Forces of Evil have been considering pushing for some sort of “judicial selection” for a while now. Because of who was behind it, the Curmudgeon has been his usual skeptical self, but if this is what we elect, we have to have a new system.

The Curmudgeon is not here to argue that Michael Richard was innocent. Mr. Richard was apparently a bad, bad man. But in my state, in 2007, we allow due process to run its full course. Even if it cuts into Happy Hour.