Denver, Colo. — After filing a complaint accusing prison officials of falsifying figures of the mentally ill and violent inmates, a former statistician for the state Department of Corrections will receive more than $260,000 plus accrued leave time in a settlement, The Associated Press reports. The statistician, Maureen O’Keefe, said that the state silenced her for her allegations against prison director Rick Raemisch, The Denver Post reports. O’Keefe declined to comment about the agreement, which includes a disclaimer that prison officials denied any wrongdoing.
Huntsville, Texas — Richard Allen Masterson, 42, was the state’s first execution this year. The Jan. 6 execution was carried out by a lethal dose of pentobarbital, The Associated Press reports.
Huntsville, Texas — James Freeman, 35, was executed Jan. 28 marking the second lethal injection in as many weeks in Texas, The Associated Press reports. Eight other executions are set through July in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Last year, 13 convicted killers faced capital punishment in Texas, a state which carries out more executions than any other.
Austin, Texas — Anthony Graves spent 18 years in prison, including 12 on Death Row. Graves’ 1994 conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court in 2006, The Dallas Morning News reports. District Attorney Charles Sebesta, who prosecuted the case, has been disbarred for using false testimony, withholding evidence, making a false statement of material fact to the trial judge, dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation. The disbarment has been upheld on appeal.
Austin, Texas — Dennis Allen and Stanley Mozee were released from prison after spending 15 years incarcerated, The Dallas Morning News reports. Both the prosecutors and the judge agreed that their convictions should be dismissed because critical evidence was withheld by the district attorney who tried them. Their releases come in the wake of increased public scrutiny of wrongful convictions, such as those of Michael Morton and Anthony Graves. Texas state legislators in 2013 passed laws to require prosecutors to turn over evidence and extend the chances of penalty if they do not comply.
Caledonia, Minn. — Roger Lee Olsen, 50, was wrongfully convicted of child sex abuse and will be compensated $475,000 under a new state law, The Associated Press reports. Olsen was released from prison in 2008, after investigators found evidence that his accuser lied about the incident, the Star Tribune reported. Olsen is among three other men who will receive monetary compensation for their time incarcerated, as well as emotional distress and injuries, under the new state law.
Chicago — Edward Bolden, 46, has been granted a new trial after spending more than 20 years behind bars for a drug-related double murder. The court ruling noted that Bolden had a “substantial deprivation of constitutional rights,” including weak prosecution evidence, poor identification and ineffective assistance of counsel for not attempting to find a key alibi witness. A spokeswoman says the state’s attorney’s office is considering whether to appeal or retry Bolden.
Indiana — The state followed the example of other U.S. states in February, deciding to curb the use of solitary confinement in prisons, according to The Washington Post. Criticism sparked after three inmates with mental illnesses were placed in solitary confinement. They received little out-of-cell time and limited contact with other inmates, which exacerbated or prompted mental health problems, the newspaper reported.
Gary, Ind. — Willie T. Donald, 47, spent nearly 24 years in prison for robbery and murder convictions that were overturned on appeal. The court ruled the police hid flawed identification from Donald and his defense attorney, The Associated Press reports. Donald says he earned two degrees in Bible studies and business management while he was in prison.
Atmore, Ala. — Christopher Eugene Brooks, 43, was executed Jan. 21, the state’s first execution in more than two years, The Associated Press reports. The execution was the state’s first use of a new lethal drug combination containing the sedative midazolam. The state’s last execution was in 2013.
Atlanta — Brandon Astor Jones, 72, Georgia’s oldest Death Row inmate, was executed on Feb. 2 by lethal injection at Jackson State Prison, The Associated Press reports. Jones was granted a new sentencing hearing in 1989, but was re-sentenced to death in 1997.
