AUSTIN, Texas, April 1 (UPI) -- A Texas study faults the requirement that juries in capital murder cases find a defendant is a future threat to society before delivering a death sentence.
In 95 percent of the cases, the Texas Defender Service study released Wednesday found the predictions of future violence are wrong, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
The service, a nonprofit legal service group that represents death row inmates, said this was true regardless of whether the inmate remained on death row, served a reduced sentence, or was eventually proved innocent of the crime.
In Texas, the jury finding is required before a defendant can be sentenced to death. The study examined 155 cases in which the state called expert witnesses who testified that the alleged killer would continue to carry out violent acts.
"Texas's death penalty sentencing procedure is intolerably flawed and inaccurate," said Andrea Keilen, deputy director of Texas Defender Service.
Critics challenged the findings of the study because they said most death row inmates are in prison for the rest of their lives and have little opportunity to commit crimes.
