2012 ~ 2011 ~ 2010 ~ 2009 ~2008 ~ 2007 ~ 2006 ~ 2005 ~ 2004 ~ 2003 ~ 2002

Read about GRACE's development, from just a “scrappy little group of volunteers” working out of the crowded attic apartment above Danalynn's home, to the organization it is today.

Read the 2006 Newsletter

Eric Matthews Plea

This year GRACE played an instrumental role in the long and hard-fought battle to save the life of Eric Matthews, a young schizophrenic Louisiana man charged with murdering his wife and young step-son who awaited trial for over eight years despite the fact that he had confessed, fully cooperated with officials, and was willing to plead guilty in exchange for life without parole.  Eric was represented by the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, our sister office where Danalynn Recer worked prior to founding GRACE, and where she remains of counsel.  Along with LCAC Director Neal Walker and mitigation specialist Melanie Carr (now the Director of A Fighting Chance, or AFC), Danalynn represented Eric for most of those eight years, during which the elected DA of Tangipahoa Parish ignored the wishes of the victims' family, ignored overwhelming evidence of Eric's severe mental illness, ignored Eric's profound remorse and his willingness to accept responsibility for his actions, and pressed for a death penalty that no one impacted by the crime actually wanted.  After extraordinary pre-trial litigation, numerous hearings, and an extensive mitigation investigation conducted by staff from LCAC, AFC and GRACE, the DA finally relented, and Eric entered a plea in exchange for a sentence of life without parole on August 30, 2006.

GRACE Board Member Helps Stay Carlton Turner's Execution 

On September 27 , the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the execution of Carlton Turner in light of their recent cert grant to consider whether lethal injection violates the 8th Amendment prohibition against cruel or unusual punishment.  Two nights previously, another Texas man was executed despite having raised the same issue and many worried that might be an indication that Baze was a hostile cert grant.  But, the stay seems to herald a national moratorium pending resolution of this issue.  The difference?  Turner lives and Richard died only because Turner exhausted the issue in state court -- thanks to the overnight heroics of our own Secretary of the Board, Morris Moon.

Read the Houston Chronicle article here.

Governor Perry Commutes Kenneth Foster's Sentence

On August 31st, Governor Perry commuted the sentence of Kenneth Foster to life imprisonment. This is only the third time that the governor has done so during his time in office. Foster did not participate in the killing, but due to the Texas statute known as the law of parties, he had been sentenced to death for driving the car when another man shot and killed Michael LaHood.

Read the Houston Chronicle article for more information.

GRACE is proud to report that the Harris County District Attorney dismissed all criminal charges against our client Shantia Jackson in March 2006.  GRACE agreed to represent Tia pro bono at the request of co-counsel Tony Haughton when Tia was initially charged with capital murder in the tragic and sudden death of her infant son in 2005.  Tia was later indicted for injury to a child, despite her documented history as an excellent and attentive mother who had never mistreated any of her three children.  After a thorough investigation and consultation with experts, GRACE was able to demonstrate to the prosecution that a flawed autopsy report, which mistakenly exaggerated the extent of injury to the child, lead the Medical Examiner to erroneously conclude that he must have been intentionally injured.  GRACE staff members Aimee Solway, Danalynn Recer and John Fox, along with interns Scarlet Granville, Caroline Harvey and Sarah Mendola, all contributed to this victory.  We hope that Tia will finally – and permanently -- be reunited with her two surviving sons in the near future.

Tia Jackson and her family

Tia and her legal team.