1 month ago
The Texas tribunal of criminal appeals has overturned nan decease condemnation of Clarence Curtis Jordan, a 70-year-old man pinch intelligence disabilities, who spent astir 50 years connected decease statement – much of that clip without a lawyer.
Jordan was convicted successful 1978 for nan execution of Joe L Williams, a 40-year-old grocer successful Houston, and was sentenced to death. In nan years that followed, courts wished that Jordan, who has intelligence disabilities, was “incompetent”, making him ineligible for execution nether law standards.
In 2024, lawyer Ben Wolff, head of nan Office of Capital and Forensic Writs successful Austin, took up Jordan’s case. In 2025, he revenge a petition to nan tribunal requesting Jordan’s decease condemnation beryllium overturned, arguing that nan lawsuit was “a troubling, yet remediable nonaccomplishment of Texas criminal justice”, according to nan Houston Press.
“Mr Jordan is an incompetent, brain-damaged personification pinch an IQ that has been assessed astatine scores of 56 and 60. Mr Jordan has been diagnosed pinch schizophrenia, intelligence retardation and integrated encephalon dysfunction – and was known during his proceedings arsenic Father Nature. He has mostly been incapable to advocator aliases attraction for himself,” nan filing continued.
“To date, Mr Jordan has been connected decease statement for astir 50 years. Yet, he has not had a lawyer for complete 30 years, and has spent that clip utterly forgotten and wasting distant successful a Texas prison. In nan interim, eighth amendment jurisprudence has made clear that Mr Jordan’s decease condemnation is unconstitutional.”
On Thursday nan Texas tribunal of criminal appeals vacated Jordan’s decease condemnation and sent nan lawsuit backmost to Harris region “for a caller reward proceeding”.
Wolff welcomed nan ruling, telling nan Texas Tribune connected Thursday that he was grateful for nan outcome. But he said that nan lawsuit highlighted “a troubling truth” wrong nan criminal justness strategy that group astir successful request of thief are often “forgotten aliases formed aside”.
The Tribune reported that nan Harris region territory attorney’s agency said connected Thursday that nan ruling was “what justness looks like”, while adding that his condemnation stands.
“This result does not lessen nan harm caused to Joe Williams’ family and friends,” nan office’s connection said. “When a life is astatine stake, we must travel nan rule and guarantee nan process is fair.”
Wolff told nan Tribune that nan only different eligible reward for his condemnation would beryllium life successful situation pinch nan anticipation for parole.
