Stop the execution of Anthony Haynes

In 1999, Anthony Haynes was convicted of the fatal shooting of off-duty police officer Kent Kincaid in Houston, Texas on 22 May 1998. To obtain a death sentence, the state had to persuade the jury that Anthony Haynes would be a continuing threat to society, even in prison.

Although the defendant had no prior criminal record that the state could point to, its case was helped by the defence lawyers’ failure to present a range of available mitigation evidence. For example, the jury was not told that only two days before the shooting, Anthony Haynes had taken crystal methamphetamine for the first time, which affected his ability to make decisions. Neither was the jury told that he has a history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other mental health problems, and no expert testimony was provided on the mitigating effects of youth. Numerous people have signed statements since the trial that the crime was far out of character for a person they knew as non-violent and respectful. Many stated that they were willing to testify at the trial but were not contacted by the defence.

On death row, Anthony Haynes is said to have been a model inmate, and to have repeatedly expressed his deep remorse for the crime. After the trial, the failure of the court-appointed habeas corpus lawyer to raise issues in state appeals – including the claim of poor legal representation at trial – meant that such issues were barred from federal judicial review.