Willie Tyrone Trottie, Coursework Example

Background ofthe Offender

“”I love you all. I’m going home, going to be with the Lord. Find it in your hearts to forgive me. I’m sorry.” (Murderpedia, 2014) In the case of Willie Tyrone Trottie aka “T-Rock”, he was a 24 year old African American male, weighing 147 lbs., and was 5’5 ft. From Houston, Texas, born on September 8, 1969 at J. Davison Hospital. He worked as a deliveryman and a security guard, and his education level only extended to the 9^th grade.  According to testimony from his mother, he worked with the Young Professionals of Houston program, and did volunteer work for the organization in which he served as a security guard. His parents separated at an early age, and he and his siblings lived with his mother for a short time. (Murderpedia, 2014)His mother dropped off her four youngest at the hotel, Trottie’s father was living, and waited at the door. The kids went to the grocery store, and stole food because they were hungry. The police were called and picked them up, and placed them in foster care.

Tyrone however ran away from foster case in order to find his grandmother and mother. He received probation after being arrested for carrying a weapon, and committing theft in 1990. His probation officer testified at his trial that he was concerning relative, which brought his nephew to the probation officer because he needed help for his drug use. (Murderpedia, 2014) He had received deferred adjudication for a theft in September 1990, and was sentenced to service 5 years in prison. The doctor who examined Trottie, believed that he needed medication and therapy for his issues with abandonment, and depression. She believed that what prompted his violent reaction, was to the event of him being rejected by women due to his childhood. She believed he was remorseful, and through help could be a productive member of society once again.

Crime Specifics

Willie Tyrone Trottie met the victim, Barbara Canada in 1989. They begin to date, and moved in with each other. During their relationship they sired a child together, but after a tumultuous time, they separated and Barbara Canada moved in with her family. Tryron’s conduct towards Barbara got to be progressively violent after they separated in1992. As per state witnesses that affirmed at Tryron’s trial, Tryron cautioned Barbara that he would kill her in the event that she didn’t come back to him. He rehashed the danger over several occasions, since the time they were initially separated. Barbara’s nearby companion affirmed that Tryron called Barbara “continually” at home and at work, imploring her to return to him. Tryron hit Barbara, knock Barbara’s auto with his own particular while it was making a trip at sixty to sixty-five miles an hour, and shot out her tires. Additionally he once seized her, discharging her just after she guaranteed to rejoin with him. Barbara fearing for her safety, acquired a restraining order against Tryron in March 1993.

All things considered; state witnesses affirmed that Tryron telephoned Barbara in April and let her know that she had until May 1, 1993 to come back to him, or else he would execute her. On May 3, 1993, Tryron called Barbara again and let her know that “he wasn’t going to hold up around any longer” and again debilitated to murder her. (Murderpedia, 2014) One witness affirmed that Tryron additionally undermined Barbara’s sibling Titus Canada in light of the fact that, as indicated by Tryron, he had gotten “in the way.” (Murderpedia, 2014) Tryron went to Barbara’s resident around 11 p.m. on the night of May 3, 1993, two days after she obtained a restraining order. He was outfitted with a self-loader 9mm gun. At the time, there were five kids less than seven years old in the house, alongside various other relatives. As indicated by state witnesses, Tryron opened fire instantly, injuring Barbara’s mother, sister, and sibling. Barbara’s sibling returned shoot with a .380 gauge gun and shot Tryron various times. Tryron then came back to the region where Barbara’s sibling was lying injured. In the perspective of no less than two little kids, discharged two shots into Barbara’s sibling’s head, slaughtering him. Tryron left the Canada home, and drove himself to the hospital. He was captured a brief time later in the crisis room of an adjacent hospital.

Appeals Process

Tyrone was indicted in the 262^nd Judicial District Court of Harris County on May 3, 1993, on the charge of capital offense of murdering both Titus and Barbara Canada. According to Murderpedia (2014), the prosecution presented witnesses, photographic evidence, medical examiner, weapons expert, and testimony from a crime scene investigation in helping to convict Trottie. His defense argued that it was self-defense as he was shot first, and sought for a lesser offense conviction. (Murderpedia, 2014) Considered a crime of passion, he pled not guilty, but was convicted of the capital offense by a jury of his peers. The court condemned him to die by execution in a subsequent hearing. Tyrone’s attorney submitted a plea for an appeal at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on September 20, 1995. The first appeal was to the sentence and conviction in an unpublished opinion. The Appeals court upheld his conviction, however his defense attorney filed a habeas corpus to the state in 1997. “They told appeals courts, before prosecutors told Trottie’s legal team that a trial witness had privately conceded that Canada “probably had messed with (Trottie’s) mind” (Death Penalty News, 2014) It wasn’t until 2008, that the trial court submitted their findings on the fact and conclusion that he would his appeal would be denied in 2009. He once again in 2010, filed a federal habeas petition to the U.S District Court for Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. (Nuke Gingrich, 2014) The federal district court on September 30, 2011 denied his petition, and his permission to appeal the conviction. In June 2013, he sought permission to file another appeal to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which they denied also. Trottie filed a petition for writ of certiorari to the U.S Supreme Court, in which they denied in 2014 because of abuse of discretion standard. “.A COA is improper where reasonable jurists could not disagree that the district court did not abuse its discretion.” (Clark Prosecutor, 2014) On September 2014, he filed the 11-th hour appeal. According to reports, “Trottie’s lawyers questioned whether state prison officials were truthful when they asserted pentobarbital to be used in the execution would remain potent and pure.”(Death Penalty News, 2014) They wanted an stay of execution to argue their concerns over the drug used in the lethal injection.

Status of Offender

While trying to file appeals during the 11-th hour of his execution, the Supreme Court denied his appeal on the grounds of equitable remedy, courtesy of Adams v Thaler, however the courts ruled that his application for COA, didn’t need further time for adjudication. Additionally he did not demonstrate that he was entitled a stay of execution. His stay of execution was denied, and he was executed on September 9, 2014. His last words, was his acknowledgment of his wrong doing, and he offered up an apology to all the families involved.

Personal Opinions

In this case, justice was served, although prolonged, due to the tireless exhaustion of court remedies to adjudicate his sentence. His crime of passion, albeit due to his childhood, he went to the residence with the intentions of inflicting bodily harm. Nothing he did was justified in being self-defense. His actions were caused for his conviction of capital murder for the lives of Barbara and Titus Canada. Although he was remorseful his actions were unforgivable, and could not be reversed. His sentence was just, and his punishment fit the crime.

References

Execution Watch: Willie Tyrone Trottie. (2014). Nuke Gingrich. Retrieved from http://nukegingrich.com/2014/09/09/execution-watch-willie-tyrone-trottie/

In the United States Court of Appeals For the Fifth Circuit. (2014). Murderpedia. Retrieved from http://murderpedia.org/male.T/images/trottie_willie_tyrone/trottie-v-stephens.pdf

Texas Executes Willie Trottie, Its 8th Of The Year. (2014). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/10/willie-trottie-executed_n_5800974.html

Texas executes Willie Tyrone Trottie. (2014). Death Penalty News. Retrieved from http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2014/09/texas-executes-willie-tyrone-trottie.html

Willie Tyrone Trottie. (2014). Clark Prosecutor. Retrieved from http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/trottie1388.htm

Williams, Namon. (2012). The Williams Report. The Williams Report. Retrieved from http://nanonwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2003-June1.pdf