Texas Decides Not to Execute Someone For a Change

Posted by Liliana Segura at 1:00 PM on August 30, 2007.

This afternoon, Texas Governor Rick Perry tried to do something different for a change. He spared the life of a man facing execution.

This is a huge victory for the family and supporters of Kenneth Foster, a man who, at age 19, was sentenced to die for a murder that he did not commit.

Many people have heard of this case by now. You can read about it here or here or here.

Governor Perry would never have reached this decision on his own. It took a 6 to 1 recommendation by of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles this morning for him to commute his death sentence. In its history, the Board had only ever recommended clemency twice--and Perry had never granted it.

This decision was not a sudden change of heart. It was the result of a tireless campaign by activists in Texas and elsewhere, as well as the unstoppable courage of Kenneth's family--especially his 11-year old daughter, Nydesha, who has been a courageous defender of her dad.

Watch her speak here

Congratulations, Nydesha, for inspiring the state of Texas to do the right thing.

Tagged as: death penalty, crime, justice system, foster, perry

Liliana Segura is a writer and activist living in New York