In a significant legal development, Texas’ top criminal court has annulled the death sentence of Clarence Curtis Jordan, a Harris County inmate who has been on death row for almost 50 years. This decision sends the case back to the county court for a new sentencing procedure.
Clarence Curtis Jordan, now 70, was convicted in 1978 for the murder of Joe L. Williams, a 40-year-old grocery store owner in Houston. Over the years, Jordan was deemed intellectually disabled and unfit for execution. Nonetheless, he remained on death row without legal representation for nearly four decades.
It wasn’t until 2024 that Jordan received legal representation, following revelations about delayed criminal appeals in Harris County. Some cases had been inactive for over ten years, prompting efforts to address the court backlog.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals officially vacated Jordan’s death penalty in its recent ruling, highlighting the necessity for a new punishment hearing.
Jordan’s lawyer, Ben Wolff, who leads the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs, expressed relief over the court’s decision. Wolff remarked, “a troubling truth” within the justice system is that those most in need are often “forgotten or cast aside.”
“It’s a really sad case,” Wolff shared with The Texas Tribune. “He’s been on death row basically as long as I’ve been alive.”
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office acknowledged the decision, stating, “This outcome does not lessen the harm caused to Joe Williams’ family and friends.” They emphasized the importance of a fair process when life is at stake.
While Jordan’s conviction remains intact, the district attorney’s office announced it would not seek a new punishment phase. The 184th District Court, where Jordan was originally convicted, has yet to outline the next steps.
Wolff noted that the only other viable penalty would be life imprisonment with a possibility of parole. His office, which focuses on post-conviction processes for death row inmates, might have to transfer Jordan’s case if proceedings extend beyond a resentencing.
This article was initially reported by The Texas Tribune and shared in collaboration with The Associated Press.
