Texas' Highest Court Overturns 47-Year Death Sentence, Citing Right to Counsel Failure

Texas' highest criminal court has overturned the death sentence of Clarence Curtis Jordan, an intellectually disabled man who spent 47 years on death row, nearly four decades without legal representation. This decision highlights critical issues surrounding constitutional rights to counsel, protections for intellectually disabled individuals, and systemic court backlogs in Harris County. The case now returns for a new punishment proceeding, raising important public policy questions about due process and accountability in the justice system.