(21 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Austin, Texas – 21 October 2024
1. “Dr. Phil” McGraw escorted into courtroom
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil McGraw, Talk Show Host:
"I really feel like he didn’t due process and didn’t get a fair trial and we should make sure that he gets that. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not saying turn this guy loose. I’m not saying let him go. Let’s just make sure he gets a fair trial and that we use current science in determining what happened with this child."
3. Various media outside packed courtroom
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil McGraw, Talk Show Host:
"Depriving someone of their liberty in the United States comes at a really high standard. You know, we say reasonable doubt so much that it kind of loses its meaning. But depriving some of their liberty comes at a really high standard. Depriving someone of their life should come at an extremely high standard. And I don’t think that standard has been met here. I think because of the evolution of science and because of the trial record, which I’ve read top to bottom, this man has not had his day in court. He’s not had a full vetting of this case. Now I have an opinion about whether he did something to this child. I’m not convinced that a crime took place. I think this is an acutely and chronically ill child, so I’m not sure the crime took place at all. But he certainly has not had a fair trial. And I think if we’re going to have the death penalty, we need to make really sure that we’ve done everything we can to protect the rights of the individual that is subjected to that death penalty, and I don’t think that’s happened in this case. I think if we’re going to have the death penalty, we need to make certain that we’ve done everything we possibly can to protect the person’s rights."
5. McGraw walks away from reporters after talking in courthouse hallway
STORYLINE:
A Texas man whose execution was halted after lawmakers ordered Robert Roberson to appear at the state Capitol did not show up as planned Monday after a dispute over transporting a person on death row for the extraordinary purpose of testifying in a public hearing.
His absence at a highly anticipated hearing at the Texas Capitol was another twist in last-ditch efforts to spare Roberson’s life over claims that outdated science and faulty evidence led to his 2003 conviction in the death of his 2-year-old daughter.
Among those testifying Monday about Roberson’s case was daytime television psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw.
The veteran talk show host McGraw threw his full support behind Roberson, stating that there was not enough evidence to convict him of a crime.
“If you execute people when you now know better, you need to abolish the death penalty. If that’s the standard by which you’re gonna execute people, you’ve got a bad system,” McGraw said.
Robeson’s claims of innocence are backed by a group of Republican and Democratic legislators who say he was convicted based on outdated science.
Roberson received the death penalty for the 2002 death of daughter Nikki Curtis in the East Texas city of Palestine.
Prosecutors argued that the infant’s death was caused by serious head trauma from being violently shaken back and forth.
Roberson’s attorneys say that the bruising on Curtis’ body was likely due to complications with severe pneumonia and not child abuse.
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