Death penalty opponents work to stop first Texas execution of black woman News
Death penalty opponents work to stop first Texas execution of black woman

[JURIST] Supporters of Frances Newton [TX AG press release], slated to become the first black woman executed in Texas since the state took over executions from county authorities in 1923, held protests Saturday while her attorneys fight a last-minute battle to stop her death. They have filed a request for clemency with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles [official website] and have asked a Texas court to stay the execution, scheduled for September 14. Newton was convicted of killing her husband and two children on April 7, 1987, to collect $100,000 in insurance. In December 2004, Texas Governor Rick Perry [official website] stopped Newton’s execution two hours before it was scheduled in order to probe deeper into questionable forensics evidence. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [advocacy website] and Amnesty International [advocacy website] are both working to stop Newton’s execution. Amnesty International claims that she was convicted on circumstantial evidence [AI press release] and did not have access to adequate legal representation. They also suggest potential flaws in the DNA evidence. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.