Texas Executes Broadnax in Controversial Lyrics-Based Death Penalty Case

James Broadnax, 37, was executed by lethal injection in Texas after courts rejected appeals over the use of rap lyrics in his sentencing, questions about the racial makeup of the jury, and a new confession from his cousin in the double-murder case that helped prompt review. The case drew support from rappers and scholars who argued art should not drive punishment in capital cases.