Law of parties
{{short description|Texas criminal legislation}}
The Texas law of parties{{cite web |url=http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.7.htm#7.02 |title=Texas Penal Code Section 7.02, Criminal Responsibility for Conduct of Another |year=2016 |accessdate=August 1, 2016}} states that a person can be criminally responsible for the actions of another in certain circumstances, including "[i]f in the attempt to carry out a conspiracy to commit one felony, another felony is committed by one of the conspirators, all conspirators are guilty of the felony actually committed, though having no intent to commit it, if the offense was committed in furtherance of the unlawful purpose and was one that should have been anticipated as a result of the carrying out of the conspiracy."
In Texas capital cases, a person convicted under the law of parties may not be sentenced to death if convicted under the law of parties unless the sentencing jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that "the defendant actually caused the death of the deceased or did not actually cause the death of the deceased but intended to kill the deceased or another or anticipated that a human life would be taken."{{cite web |url=http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/CR/htm/CR.37.htm#37.071 |title=Texas Penal Code Section 37.071, Procedure in Capital Case|year=2016 |accessdate=August 2, 2016}}
In 2021 and 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted in favor of bills intended to limit death penalty eligibility under the law of parties, but neither of the bills advanced to the next stage.{{cite web |url=https://reports.texasaction.com/bill/87r/hb1340 |title=Texas Action|year=2021 |accessdate=May 5, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&Bill=HB1736 |title=Texas Legislature|year=2023 |accessdate=June 5, 2023}}
Convictions under the law
People sentenced to death under the law include Carlos Santana,{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/executed-but-did-not-directly-kill-victim|title=Executed But Did Not Directly Kill Victim|accessdate=5 June 2023}} Carlos Trevino,{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/trevino-v-thaler-4|title=Trevino v. Thaler|accessdate=14 November 2011}} Cleve Foster,{{cite web|url=https://tcadp.org/2012/09/25/supreme-court-denies-4th-stay-for-cleve-foster/|title=State of Texas Executes Cleve Foster|accessdate=5 June 2023}} Clinton Young,{{cite web |url= https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/youngclinton.html |title=Clinton Lee Young Inmate Information |year=2003 |accessdate=April 15, 2003}} Donald Newbury,{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/04/Joseph-Garcia-Texas-seven-texas-execution/|title=Texas executes one of the "Texas Seven" prison escapees|accessdate=18 December 2018}} Doyle Skillern,{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/executed-but-did-not-directly-kill-victim|title=Executed But Did Not Directly Kill Victim|accessdate=5 June 2023}} George Rivas,{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/04/Joseph-Garcia-Texas-seven-texas-execution/|title=Texas executes one of the "Texas Seven" prison escapees|accessdate=18 December 2018}} G.W. Green,{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/executed-but-did-not-directly-kill-victim|title=Executed But Did Not Directly Kill Victim|accessdate=5 June 2023}} Humberto Garza,{{cite web|url=https://www.workers.org/2020/10/51933/|title=The death penalty protested in Texas for the 21st year|accessdate=19 October 2019}} Jeffery Wood, Jessie Gutierrez,{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/executed-but-did-not-directly-kill-victim|title=Executed But Did Not Directly Kill Victim|accessdate=5 June 2023}} John Adams,{{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/120/2008/en/ |title=Document – USA (Texas): Death Penalty / Legal Concern |work=amnesty.org |year=2011 |accessdate=September 14, 2011}} Joseph Garcia,{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/04/Joseph-Garcia-Texas-seven-texas-execution/|title=Texas executes one of the "Texas Seven" prison escapees|accessdate=18 December 2018}} Joseph Nichols,{{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/197/2007/en/ |title=Document – USA: Breaking a Lethal Habit: A Look Back at the Death Penalty in 2007 |work=amnesty.org |year=2011 |accessdate=September 14, 2011}}{{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/125/2007/en/ |title=Document – USA: One County, 100 Executions: Harris County and Texas – A Lethal Combination |work=amnesty.org |year=2011 |accessdate=September 14, 2011}} Juan Ramirez,{{cite web|url=https://www.workers.org/2020/10/51933/|title=The death penalty protested in Texas for the 21st year|accessdate=19 October 2019}} Kenneth Foster, Michael Rodriguez,{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/04/Joseph-Garcia-Texas-seven-texas-execution/|title=Texas executes one of the "Texas Seven" prison escapees|accessdate=18 December 2018}} Miguel Martinez,{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/local/crime/article/Laredo-s-triple-ax-murders-detailed-in-new-13154633.php|title=Laredo’s ‘Triple-Ax Murders’ Detailed in New Netflix Docuseries|accessdate=14 August 2018}} Patrick Murphy, Randy Halprin, Ray Jasper,{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/a-letter-from-ray-jasper-who-is-about-to-be-executed-1536073598 |title=A Letter From Ray Jasper Who Is About to Be Executed |work=gawker.com |year=2014 |accessdate=March 5, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305193246/http://gawker.com/a-letter-from-ray-jasper-who-is-about-to-be-executed-1536073598 |archivedate=March 5, 2014 }} Robert Garza,{{cite web|url=http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/garza1345.htm|title=Robert Garza Executed|accessdate=19 September 2019}} Robert Pruett, Robert Thompson,{{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/118/2009/en/ |title=Document – USA: Choosing Death Again: Texas Governor Rejects Clemency Recommendation |work=amnesty.org |year=2011 |accessdate=September 14, 2011}} Rodolfo Medrano,{{cite web|url=https://www.workers.org/2020/10/51933/|title=The death penalty protested in Texas for the 21st year|accessdate=19 October 2019}} Steven Woods, and Ignacio Cuevas.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=1975-04-05 |title=Texas Inmate Sentenced to Die In Killing of Hostage in Shootout |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/05/archives/texas-inmate-sentenced-to-die-in-killing-of-hostage-an-shootout.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |issn=0362-4331}}
Kenneth Foster and Miguel Martinez's sentences would later be commuted to life imprisonment. Clinton Young was released on bond in 2022 after his conviction was overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct.{{cite web |url=https://clintonyoungfoundation.com/#:~:text=Wrongful%20Convictions&text=The%20Foundation%20got%20its%20name,overturned%20in%20September%20of%202021. |title=Clinton Lee Young Released |year=2021 |accessdate=January 1, 2021}} He was retried and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-death-row-inmate-clinton-152637843.html |title=Clinton Lee Young Resentenced |year=2024 |accessdate=October 16, 2024}}