Why the Texas Criminal Court Rejected a Woman’s Death Row Appeal

Texas’ highest criminal court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, upheld the ruling of a lower court in early February. The court rejected the appeal of a condemned British woman who was convicted of organizing the murder of a neighbor, so she could kidnap the woman’s baby. The convicted woman, Linda Carty, argued that the prosecutors had compelled witnesses and hid information that could have affected the outcome of her trial. Here are more details on why the courts rejected this appeal and what happened during the trial.

What Did We Learn During the Initial Trial?

Carty, a St. Kitts and Nevis native, was convicted for the 2001 murder of Joana Rodriguez. By the time of her trial, the British woman had been living in Houston for 20 years. She had recruited three men to abduct Rodriguez and her newborn, so she could pass off the child as her own in order to save her common-law marriage. The mother and son were abducted in early May of 2001 from their Houston apartment; the son was found safe in a car that same day, but the mother was found suffocated in the trunk of another vehicle. Carty was sentenced to death in 2002, and the three men were charged as her accomplices and received long imprisonments.

Why Was Her Appeal Rejected?

Carty attempted to appeal her ruling, stating that the prosecutors were purposely trying to negatively affect her trial. The appeals court agreed in 2016 that prosecutors should have given some witness statements to Carty’s trial lawyers, but the evidence was still very staggering, and it wouldn’t have made a difference in the trial. The District Judge also determined that the prosecutors didn’t purposely use or allow misleading testimonies at the trial, and there was no way to prove that they knowingly did. The appeals court concluded that none of these claims by Carty’s lawyers were supported in the court records.

Criminal defense lawyer Mike Goolsby has experience to defend anyone who has been charged with a criminal offense and is facing prosecution in a federal court. If you’re facing criminal allegations and you need someone to defend you, contact us today and let our firm protect you.

Mike Goolsby

A veteran in both civil court cases and criminal defense, Mike Goolsby is a respected lawyer with more than 16 years of experience practicing law. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of North Texas in 1990, followed by his J.D. from the prestigious Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1994. After earning his law degree, Mr. Goolsby worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. As a trial lawyer, he was able to gain exceptional access to the criminal court system in this major metropolitan area, giving him immeasurable, distinct experience that helped him build a solid foundation for his own private legal practice. Mr. Goolsby went on to practice civil law for Maverick Acceptance Group, a venture capital company. Here, he gained invaluable knowledge of the civil side of the law, adding to his already diverse portfolio of legal expertise. In 1999, he opened the doors of The Goolsby Law Firm and has been successfully serving the residents of North Texas ever since. As an attorney, Mr. Goolsby combines his experience in both the civil and criminal fields to offer unmatched legal representation to his clients. With a long list of satisfied clients, Mr. Goolsby continues to build his practice through fair and aggressive legal defense.