Supreme Court Denies Texas Death Row Inmate Escobar's Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied an appeal from Texas death row inmate Areli Escobar, who sought a new trial despite support from the original prosecuting office. Escobar was convicted in 2009 for the murder of 17-year-old Bianca Maldonado, with the prosecution relying heavily on DNA evidence from a lab that was later shut down due to significant issues. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has rejected his appeals twice, with the latest ruling coming after the Supreme Court instructed a reconsideration. Unlike a similar case in Oklahoma, where the court overturned Richard Glossip's conviction, the justices provided no explanation for their differing treatment of Escobar's case. The ruling leaves Escobar's conviction intact, while he remains off immediate execution. The case highlights ongoing concerns about reliability in forensic evidence used in capital trials.