Grant Clemency to Jose Briseno, TX death row inmate
- by: Supporters of Jose Briseno
- recipient: Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Rick Perry
Update: Temporary Stay Granted!
A statement from Richard Burr, attorney for Jose Briseno:
"The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today stayed the April 7 execution of Jose Briseno to consider whether Mr. Briseno's jury was allowed to give appropriate effect to the mitigating evidence of childhood deprivation, abandonment by his parents, limited intellectual functioning, alcoholism and drug abuse, and lifelong poverty introduced on his behalf in the penalty phase of his trial.
The Texas courts have wrestled with this issue in numerous cases since 1989, when the Supreme Court first addressed this problem with the Texas capital sentencing procedure. A 2004 decision by the Supreme Court has given the Court of Criminal Appeals reason to revisit this issue in cases involving crimes that occurred before September 1991. Mr. Briseno has gained worldwide support, with people petitioning the Governor and Board of Pardons and Paroles from 22 countries in his quest for clemency, due to his extraordinarily positive contributions to the lives of many people since his incarceration on death row in 1992."
Temporary Stay Granted: Jose Briseno, who sits on the Texas death row awaiting execution on Tuesday, April 7, is a poignant example of the power of change. Because Mr. Briseno has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary and unique ability to make a transformative difference in his own life and in the lives of those around him, we believe he is deserving of mercy. Read Marianne's letter (pictured left with Jose). Watch Video about Jose.
We appeal to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend and Governor Rick Perry to grant Jose Briseno clemency.
Jose Briseno, who sits on Texas' death row awaiting execution on Tuesday, April 7, is a poignant example of the power of change. Because Mr. Briseno has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary and unique ability to make a transformative difference in his own life and in the lives of those around him, we believe he is deserving of mercy.
We appeal to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend and Governor Rick Perry to grant Jose Briseno clemency.
Mr. Briseno has been on death row since June, 1992, convicted of murdering the sheriff of Dimmit County, Texas. The seventeen years that have since passed tell an extraordinary story of redemption and transformation. He has befriended and offered meaningful emotional support to those he has come in contact with, including fellow prisoners, Texas Department of Criminal Justice staff, and the dozens of people outside of prison that he has come to correspond with across the world, from Oregon and Texas to England and Taiwan.
These individuals initiated correspondence with Mr. Briseno to try to be of help and comfort to a death row inmate, but over the course of years and thousands of letters, they have each come to feel that Mr. Briseno has helped them far more than she or he has helped him. They speak of his humanity, compassion, and commitment to do good that has offered them much-needed support in times of crisis.
Many of these friends have written to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles urging them to recommend clemency, testifying to Mr. Briseno's "profound and moving spirituality" and his role as a mentor to other prisoners and friends.
Six of Mr. Briseno's closest friends testify to the profound, immeasurable, and positive impact he has had on their lives in a clemency video, which can be accessed via this link.
As one friend states, "he would be of greater service to society and to the prison by being alive rather than being executed."
We appeal to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend and Governor Rick Perry to grant clemency to Jose Briseno.
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