Jordan’s death sentence was overturned on Thursday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, according to a ruling described in an Associated Press report that drew on The Texas Tribune. The court vacated the death sentence of Clarence Curtis Jordan, who had been on death row for nearly half a century, and directed that the case return to Harris County for a new punishment proceeding.
Jordan, 70, was first convicted in 1978 of murdering Joe L. Williams, a 40-year-old Houston grocer. The case later produced findings that Jordan is intellectually disabled and that, in subsequent years, he was incompetent and therefore could not be executed, according to the report.
For decades, Jordan did not have an attorney to advocate for him, the report said. It also described him as effectively forgotten while he remained on death row, with legal access arriving much later than the initial conviction and later incompetency determinations.
In 2024, Jordan was finally appointed a new attorney as news emerged that Harris County had numerous delayed criminal appeals, including some that were lost for more than a decade. The report said this development unfolded as part of an effort by the county to reduce a backlog in its criminal courts.
After additional legal advocacy, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated Jordan’s death sentence on Thursday and sent the matter back to Harris County for a new punishment proceeding. The report said the appellate panel’s action required new proceedings at the county level rather than leaving the death sentence in place.
Ben Wolff, Jordan’s attorney and director of the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs, said his office was grateful for the outcome but described a broader problem illustrated by the case. In a statement, Wolff said the court’s decision reflects “a troubling truth” about the criminal justice system—people most in need of help are often “forgotten or cast aside,” according to the report.
Wolff also told The Texas Tribune, “It’s a really sad case,” and said Jordan had been on death row “basically as long as I’ve been alive,” the report said. Wolff’s comments were included alongside the reporting on the procedural history that left Jordan without representation for years.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the overturning of the death sentence is “what justice looks like,” while also stating that Jordan’s conviction stands, according to the report. The office said the decision does not lessen the harm caused to Joe Williams’ family and friends, and added that when a life is at stake, prosecutors must follow the law and ensure the process is fair.
After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated the death sentence, the district attorney’s office said Friday it would not ask for a new punishment proceeding. The report said the 184th District Court—where Jordan was convicted—did not immediately respond to The Texas Tribune’s question about next steps.