Capital Punishment: The annual United Nations anti-death penalty resolution lost a sponsor nation this year as reported in this Associated Press story. Canada, which abolished the death penalty 31 years ago, announced yesterday that it would end its sponsorship. This follows last week's announcement, posted earlier, by the Canadian government that it would no longer fight to commute the death sentences of its citizens in foreign democracies.

Emergency DP Appeals in Texas can now be filed via email. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals announced the change in policy Tuesday, according to this report from Reuters. This follows the protest by defense groups after the Court refused to accept a last-minute appeal to delay the September 25 execution of Michael Richard, who was sentenced to death for the rape, burglary and murder of a nurse in 1986. An Associated Press story reports that Richard's wife has filed a federal lawsuit against Presiding Judge Sharon Keller for unspecified damages, alleging that Keller violated the "open courts" provision of the Texas Constitution.