The defense rests - case of Calvin Burdine, gay prisoner in death row - Brief Article

A gay death-row inmate in Texas received a fair trial even though his lawyer slept through part of it, a federal court ruled in late October. The fifth circuit court of appeals ruled that Calvin Burdine, who was convicted of stabbing his lover to death in 1984, received adequate representation from court-appointed attorney Joe Cannon, who fell asleep between five and 10 times during the trial. In their decision, judges Edith Jones (considered a favorite of George W. Bush) and Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale said there is no evidence as to when Cannon slept, so "it is impossible to determine" if he slept through crucial points in the case.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Liberation Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group