Rodney Reed Update

District Judge Reva Towslee Corbett, the daughter of the judge who presided over the trial that sent Rodney Reed to death row, has recommended that the Texas Court of Appeals not grant Rodney a new trial. The case will now go before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals who can agree or disagree with Corbett's decision and determine if Rodney deserves a new trial.

While this was not a suprise to any of us who attended the hearing, as Corbett had a clear pro-prosecution bias, this is nonetheless a sad and frustrating setback. However, the fight to save Rodney's life is by no means over. This unjust decision demands that we move quickly to mobilize and act.

Rather than holding our traditional Monday meeting at 7pm at the Kasbah coffeehouse, our membership will be attending a special screening of State vs. Reed at the Alamo Drafthouse, downton at 4th and Colorado. We will have a table set-up with copies of the New Abolitionist and fact sheets on Rodney's case and the many others we are working on. Admission is the standard $7 ($5.50 for students) and half of the proceeds will go to the Reed family, who are facing considerable financial difficulties in the midst of this nightmare.

We may have lost this battle, but the war for Rodney is far from over. The Rodney Reed case, unique in several respects, is also a prime example of what is the norm in Texas and throughout the country when it comes to capital punishment. Now is the time to raise our voices and let the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals know that we DEMAND a new trial for Rodney Reed!