"Poland is opposing the creation of a yearly 'European day against the death Penalty,'" reports the EU Observer.

Race and Murder: Jeff Jacoby, resident contrarian at the Boston Globe, has this column on the myths and reality.

Texas Execution of South Carolina Parolee Tony Roach
Michael Graczyk reports on the 24th condemned Texas inmate this year in this story in the AP. Tony Roach was sentenced to die for the 1998 burglary-related murder of Ronnie Dawn Hewitt in Amarillo. She was found on the living room floor of her apartment when firefighters responded to a fire. She was burned and had a belt wrapped around her neck. An investigation determined that the fire was intentionally set and that Hewitt had been strangled. “I know your loved one is in a good place. I am sorry for what I have done.” said Roach who did not agree with the death penalty.

18 years for Brooklyn man who bludgeoned wife to death with brick
The NYDailyNews.com reports here that Remington Watson was confronted by his angry daughter as he was sentenced for stabbing and beating her mother to death with a brick. “Someone who is insane enough to kill the mother of two children in the same house where they are sleeping deserves to be put in jail for life....I hope you rot in jail” said 16-year-old Tiara Watson. Watson was spared a life sentence and instead received 18 years in a plea deal for the 2005 brutal murder of his wife.

National Security Letters: A federal district judge has declared a portion of the amended Patriot Act unconstitutional, according to this AP story by Larry Neumeister.

Crawford case: New Mexico v. Romero, previously noted here and here, is on the conference list for the Supreme Court's "long conference" of Monday, Sept. 24. Expect the orders list to be released the next day.