Mental Disability Standards in Texas Capital Cases Challenged by ABA
Published: Oct 17, 2016 in Criminal DefenseIn August, the American Bar Association (ABA) submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Bobby James Moore v. Texas in regard to Texas’ standard for determining if someone has a mental disability. The way a state determines this type of disability is crucial because a jury cannot sentence an individual with an intellectual disability to the death penalty. The ABA’s amicus brief, which is a document filed by a non-party to a lawsuit and draws the court’s attention to a specific issue within the case,…