The State of Texas vs. Melissa
| The State of Texas vs. Melissa | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Cyril Thoma Sabrina Van Tassel |
| Written by | Sabrina Van Tassel |
| Produced by | Philippe de Bourbon Isaac Sharry Sabrina Van Tassel |
| Starring | Norma Jean Farley Peter Gilman Bobby Lucio Daniella Lucio Diane Lucio Esperanza Lucio Melissa Lucio Rene Lucio |
| Cinematography | Cyril Thomas |
| Edited by | Damien Bois |
| Music by | Christophe Lapinta |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Alba Films FilmRise |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 min. |
| Country | France-United States |
| Language | English-Spanish-French |
State of Texas vs. Melissa is a 2020 French-American documentary by Sabrina Van Tassel. The documentary follows the case of Melissa Lucio, a Texan woman who was the first woman of Hispanic descent in Texas to be sentenced to death. It was selected for the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020, and won best documentary at the Raindance Film Festival. As of 2021[update], Lucio has been on death row for 13 years, having been convicted of the abuse and murder of one of her children. The rights were acquired by Hulu, for streaming in the US.[1]
Background[edit]
On February 17, 2007, paramedics were called to a residence, where an unresponsive two-year-old child, who later died, was found. The child's mother, Melissa Lucio, was arrested and convicted of murder due to evidence of abuse.[2] A 2011 appeal against the conviction was denied.[3] However, due to trial court interference in the accused's right to present a defense, the sentence was unanimously overturned in 2019 by a three-judge panel of the Federal Appeals Court.[4] However, the full court in 2021 ruled that the conviction had to be upheld for procedural reasons "despite the difficult issue of the exclusion of testimony that might have cast doubt on the credibility of Lucio's confession",[5] and the death sentence was upheld.[6]
In January 2022, Cameron County officials signed an execution warrant for Lucio, scheduled for April 27, 2022.[7] On April 25, 2022 the Texas Court of Appeals granted a stay in Lucio's case and remanded it back to trial court. The court found merit in four of Lucio's claims for clemency.[8]
Summary[edit]
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Reception[edit]
The documentary received overall positive feedback, with an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes.[9]
See also[edit]
- List of death row inmates in the United States
- List of people scheduled to be executed in the United States
- List of women on death row in the United States
References[edit]
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (April 15, 2021). "Hulu Acquires U.S. Rights to Tribeca Documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Death Row Information". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Melissa Elizabeth Lucio v. The State of Texas (concurring)". Justia Law.
- ^ "Federal Appeals Court Overturns Mother's Conviction in Texas Child Murder Case That May Have Been an Accidental Death". Death Penalty Information Center.
- ^ "Lawyers hope new evidence can stop Texas woman Melissa Lucio's execution". NPR. The Associated Press. 3 April 2022.
- ^ "Inmates on Death Row". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Puente, Nathaniel (January 14, 2022). "Harlingen woman faces April execution for daughter's 2007 murder". KVEO-TV. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Hennes, Rebecca (2022-04-25). "What to know about Melissa Lucio, Texas mom on death row whose execution was halted by a Texas court". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
- ^ "The State of Texas vs. Melissa (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.