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Texas Court Reverses Gonzales Execution Stay | Odessa News
Texas’ highest criminal court has overturned a stay of execution for Michael Dean Gonzales, clearing the way for his scheduled death penalty after finding the lower court misapplied legal standards in determining intellectual disability. The appeals court ruled that clear and convincing evidence was needed — not just a preponderance — to prove Gonzales lacked mental capacity, citing his above-70 IQ scores from youth, lack of official diagnoses, and delayed claim filing. Testimony also suggested his perceived slowness stemmed from motivation or substance use, not disability. Prosecutors’…
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