Texas Death Row Inmate to Testify in Hearing After Historic Last-Minute Stay of Execution

On Monday, Robert Roberson, a Texas death row inmate, will testify before the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee following a last-minute stay of execution.

Roberson, who was convicted for the 2002 death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, was spared execution after a historic bipartisan legislative intervention.

The hearing will focus on how "junk science," particularly outdated and discredited evidence like shaken baby syndrome, may have influenced his conviction.

Roberson's execution, which was scheduled for last Thursday, was paused by the Texas Supreme Court after the House Committee issued a subpoena compelling his testimony.
This rare instance of legislative involvement comes despite the Texas parole board's denial of clemency and Governor Greg Abbott's refusal to intervene.

According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott's reluctance is not rare, as Texas governors have historically avoided commuting death sentences, reflecting a tough-on-crime stance in a state that leads the nation in executions.

Roberson, who has consistently maintained his innocence, has been on death row for over 20 years. His defense argues that his conviction was based on flawed scientific testimony and that new medical evidence and his autism diagnosis, which went unrecognized at trial, should prompt a reassessment of his case.

Despite these claims, prosecutors assert Roberson's guilt, maintaining that the evidence against him has been upheld through numerous appeals.

The committee's Monday hearing will examine how the state's junk science law, which allows for the reconsideration of convictions based on discredited forensic methods, applies to Roberson's case.

The outcome could either lead to a re-scheduled execution or a rare grant of clemency.
More than one-third of the country's death row inmates have been executed in Texas since 1976, the state has only granted clemency to three inmates since then.