Copyright by Meredith Martin Rountree 2012 The Dissertation Committee for Meredith Martin Rountree Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: “The Things that Death will buy”: A Sociolegal Examination of Texas Death-Sentenced Prisoners Who Sought Execution Committee: E. Mark Warr, Supervisor Sheldon Ekland-Olson Debra Umberson Mary R. Rose John H. Blume “The Things that Death will buy”: A Sociolegal Examination of Texas Death-Sentenced Prisoners Who Sought Execution by Meredith Martin Rountree, A.B.; J.D. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2012 Dedication To RCO Acknowledgements None of this turned out as I had planned – for which I am profoundly grateful. I went to graduate school to “cool out” my reputation with certain criminal justice agencies and to gain some new skills. Just a few classes with Gideon Sjoberg, however, had me enthralled with the sociological enterprise. I continue to be influenced by the breadth and depth of his sociological vision. It was an honor to be his student. Like Professor Sjoberg, every member of this committee has taught and shaped me in ways I suspect they are scarcely aware. Mark Warr has been a wonderful companion in criminology, always encouraging, supportive, and generous in sharing his knowledge and insights. Sheldon Ekland-Olson and Deb Umberson spurred my inchoate interest in the sociology of death and dying. I was also fortunate enough to be teaching assistant to each, experiences that made me a better teacher. Mary Rose’s influence has extended even further. Her class on Law and Society convinced me that graduate school was the right choice for me. Her friendship and mentorship have been a great source of happiness, intellectual growth, and scholarly opportunity. John Blume has been an essential part of guiding my sociolegal investigation. The questions I asked, the information I sought, were inextricably connected to the lawyer he trained. Others have shaped my thinking as well. Rob Owen has been my constant (and patient) interlocutor throughout this project. Rob not only provided unstinting support and encouragement, but he also asked important substantive questions. His contribution to this work is immeasurable. I thank, too, Donna Brorby who took me inside Texas prisons and taught me the difference between compassion and sentimentality. Many men and women gave generously of their time in sharing their memories and impressions of the men I study here. I am sorry I am not able to thank them by name. v The Law and Society Association Graduate Student Workshop sparked some of the ideas that found their way into this study, and the American Bar Foundation’s intellectual community improved me in too many ways for me to list. I am particularly grateful to Susan Shapiro and Jothie Rajah. I am also grateful to the financial support provided by the American Bar Foundation Doctoral Fellowship, the Harry E. and Bernice M. Moore Fellowship of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the Texas State University-San Marcos Predoctoral Fellowship program, the Proteus Action League, and the University of Texas Graduate Dean’s Prestigious Fellowship Supplement. In addition, I thank Tony Black and the staff at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for their cheerful assistance. Many others helped me along the way. Carmen Gutierrez saved my bureaucratic bacon. Erin McGann and Paul King, Jim Marcus and Mia de St. Victor, Yolanda Torres and Jason Myers graciously welcomed me into their homes, despite my odd hours. Jane O’Connell helped secure me a quiet place to work. Roz Caldwell brought warmth and organization to my time in Chicago. Finally, I thank my family. While an Emily Dickinson poem seems an obvious choice to open a paper on death, she also represents where I come from. I am grateful for having been raised in a family where lifelong learning is the norm, and in a community where being a little different is too. vi “The Things that Death will buy”: A Sociolegal Examination of Texas Death-Sentenced Prisoners Who Sought Execution Meredith Martin Rountree, PhD. The University of Texas at Austin, 2012 Supervisor: E. Mark Warr This dissertation analyzes social and legal influences on Texas death-sentenced prisoners who hastened their own execution. Using variables derived from research on other types of decisions to hasten death, I compare these prisoners with other similarly- situated condemned prisoners who did not seek to hasten execution, and develop a theoretical model for their decisions. In addition, I examine both how these prisoners explain their decisions, and how court proceedings can shape these explanations. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the sociolegal construction of different rights to die. vii Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xiii List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xiv INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 PART ONE ........................................................................................................................ 3 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................................... 3 Review of Literature on Decisions to Hasten Death ...................................................... 3 Sociological risk factors for suicide ................................................................................ 7 Towards a theoretical model ......................................................................................... 14 Constructing meaning in death ..................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2 ......................................................................................................................... 20 Procedural and Historical Overview of Hastening Execution .................................... 20 The Texas death penalty conviction, sentencing, and appeals process ......................... 20 Representation by counsel ............................................................................................ 23 Court cases setting legal standards for hastening execution ......................................... 25 Important Texas cases ................................................................................................... 28 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 3 ......................................................................................................................... 34 Study Design and Method .............................................................................................. 34 Developing data regarding subject population ............................................................. 34 Creating the comparison groups ................................................................................... 41 Matched Sample One (MS1) .................................................................................... 41 viii Matched Sample Two (MS2) .................................................................................... 42 Coding qualitative data ................................................................................................. 43 Limitations on data ....................................................................................................... 44 Profile of subjects ......................................................................................................... 45 Age ............................................................................................................................ 46 Educational attainment.............................................................................................. 50 PART TWO ..................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 4 ......................................................................................................................... 51 Pathways to Hastened Execution ................................................................................... 51 Vulnerabilities ............................................................................................................... 51 Criminological characteristics ...................................................................................... 53 Criminal history and experiences with incarceration ................................................ 53 Characteristics of capital crime ................................................................................. 56 Intimate partner conflict related homicides .......................................................... 56 Commission of crime ............................................................................................ 57 Enhanced Motivation .................................................................................................... 59 Timing and triggers ..................................................................................................