Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court, solidifying the incarceration of a convicted child sexual abuser. The court has upheld the previous ruling that Danny Rivers, who was found guilty of sexually abusing his two daughters over several years, will continue to serve his sentence, according to a release from the Texas Attorney General's Office.
"This is a great win for Texas and the rest of America because it makes it harder for prisoners to weaponize federal courts to attack their state convictions," Paxton stated. The Supreme Court ruling emphasizes the importance of finality in the legal process, rejecting the notion that Danny Rivers' previous unsuccessful habeas corpus petition should be disregarded due to an ongoing appeal. As convoluted as it might get, Rivers' lawyers once stated he admitted to the heinous acts against his children, as reported by the Texas Attorney General's Office.
Despite these admissions and a past unsuccessful habeas corpus petition, Rivers pursued release through another application in federal court. This repeated attempt by Rivers to challenge his conviction was thwarted by the Supreme Court's interpretation of congressional intent to uphold finality in such matters of justice.
Through such decisions, the highest court in the land sends a clear message regarding the limits of appellate review and the weight of procedural rules. "Congress chose to promote finality," the justices pointed out, and Rivers' policy arguments did not sway the Court in its unanimous decision, with the notion that convicts can simply reset the appeals process at any time being firmly rejected, according to the Texas Attorney General's Office.
