Execution Report: Michael Hall

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A jury convicted Hall of capital murder in February 2000 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in January 2002. In June of that year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing mentally retarded prisoners was unconstitutional. In October, the Supreme Court ordered Texas to review Hall's death sentence in light of that ruling.

A Texas state district court held a hearing regarding Hall's mental retardation claims. In December 2002, the court ruled that Hall was not retarded. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed this finding in February 2003 and again in May 2004. In the latter hearing, the appeals court noted the trial court's discussion of a pro se motion Hall prepared and filed himself, asking for his attorneys' removal. In an ex parte hearing outside of the prosecuting attorney's presence, Judge Cooke commented that Hall's motion was "well-drafted" and that he could "name some attorneys that can't draw an instrument any better than this right now". Cooke advised the defense that the document would damage the their trial strategy if the state discovered it.

The case then went back to the federal courts. A U.S. district court denied Hall's appeal in August 2006, but then in June 2008, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the district court to hold an evidentiary hearing regarding Hall's mental retardation claim. After conducting a live hearing, the district court ruled in March 2009 that Hall had not proven that he was retarded. Hall appealed from there to the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Courts again, but this time, they denied his appeals.

Robert James Neville Jr. was also convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in February 2006. He apologized for the murder in his last statement and asked for forgiveness from both the victim's family as well as his own parents.

"I would like to give my sincere apology to Amy's family," Hall said in his last statement. "We caused a lot of heartache, grief, pain, and suffering, and I am sorry. I know it won't bring her back." He continued speaking, saying he was changed by Christ and was not the same person anymore, and asked for forgiveness. "I am sorry for everything," he concluded. "I wish I could take it back, but I can't." The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m.

Two of Robinson's sisters, Amanda and Ruth, witnessed Hall's execution. "It was fake; he wasn't sincere," Amanda said of Hall's apology. "He was really scared ... I just don't think he was remorseful." Ruth said, "They just turned a bad day into a good day. I feel like a weight's been lifted off my shoulder."

By David Carson. Posted on 16 February 2011.
Sources: Texas Attorney General's office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court documents, Associated Press, Dallas Morning News.