Texas Death Row Inmate Sentence Reduced to Life in Prison

Texas death row inmate Duane Buck has had his sentence reduced to life in prison, plus two 60-year terms.

Buck was sentenced to death in 1997 for the killings of his girlfriend and another man.

The US Supreme Court overturned his death sentence earlier this year, based on evidence presented by an expert witness at his trial who said black men were more violent and more likely to commit more crimes.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg says the facts of Buck's heinous crimes are not in question, but reducing his sentence to life in prison closes a chapter in the history of Harris County courts and ensures that jurors quote "never again hear that race is relevant to criminal justice or to the determination of whether a man will live or die."