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Andrew Flores, TX
Andrew Flores was executed on Sept. 21. Our deepest sympathies are extended to the famkly and loved ones of Mr. Flores and Mr. Moreno.
Andrew Flores, a Latino male, was convicted and sentenced to death for the July 26, 1993 murder and attempted robbery of Juan Moreno, a Latino grocery store clerk in Bexar County, Texas. Andrew was only 20 years old at the time of the crime. He was accompanied by Joseph Fritz, a long-time friend who was convicted to life imprisonment for his part in the murder.
Like many people facing execution, Flores has a history of mental illness. A court psychiatrist examined Flores and diagnosed him with organic affective disorder and developmental mental disorder. The psychiatrist said this illness could cause rapid moods swings under stressful situations, which was something that close friends such as Fritz would have been aware of.
Flores’ appellate attorney argued that Flores received ineffective assistance of counsel during his trial. His trial lawyer failed to have an independent psychiatric evaluation conducted and failed to inform the jury of several mitigating factors.
One such mitigating factor was evidence of Flores’ long-term drug and alcohol abuse including his intoxication at the time of the offense. The trial lawyer also failed to make it known that Flores was physically abused as a child and sexually abused by a teacher.
One of the jurors at the trial as signed an affidavit that stating that she would have favored a life sentence over death had she known these mitigating circumstances.
Trial testimony revealed that Flores went to at least 3 different high schools before dropping out to help his mother make enough money to provide for their family. Fritz and Flores’ stated that their motive for the robbery was to get rent money. Flores also has a young son. We should not be in the business of killing young adults born into poverty who were neglected by their schools, their parents and the state.
Please take a moment to urge Texas Gov. Perry to stop the execution of Andrew Flores!
