Law and Order in Texas’ Wild West

Chair

Alia Adkins-Derrick

Texas Supreme Court Historical Society

Presenter

Matthew Kolodoski

Texas Supreme Court Historical Society

Lord v. State: When does a convict’s escape-attempt void his constitutional right to appeal?

This case about a horse, a gun, and a murder focuses on a constitutional issue: does a murder- defendant’s brief, unsuccessful escape-attempt void his right to appeal?

Presenter

David A. Furlow

Texas Supreme Court Historical Society

State versus Mary Blassingame (1856): Self-Defense in a Habeas Corpus Case

David Furlow will discuss The State versus Mary Blassingame, an April 1856 Habeas Corpus case in the San Antonio District Court that pioneered the “Stand Your Ground” principal of self-defense in a Habeas Corpus Case that harkens back to Magna Carta (Runnymede, England: 1215).

Moderator

Trina Purcell

Texas Supreme Court Historical Society