Why a Jeff Ross Comedy Central special is at the center of a death sentence appeal

Back in 2015, Jeff Ross released a Comedy Central special that saw him going to roast prisoners. The special served as the perfect showcase for his no-holds barred brand of comedy. And the prisoners all seemed to have a good sense of humor about their situation.

However, 7 years later, Ross’ special is back in the headlines, as it was directly involved for a prisoner getting the death sentence we’ve learned. And now the prisoner’s attorney, Gabriel Paul Hall, is petitioning to have the case reviewed with the Supreme Court.

The direct link between the special and the sentence stems from a segment in which Ross and Hall joked about his sentence in a 15-minute bit that never aired entirely. During the trial, the prosecution used the footage to try to show that the accused showed no remorse for his actions. Again, all as a result of jokes that were being made.

The attorney wrote “A Texas jail volunteered to let Comedy Central comedian Jeff Ross roast its inmates. It encouraged inmates to participate. Texas then used the footage to sentence my client, Gabriel Hall, to death. We’re asking SCOTUS to review the constitutionality of Mr. Hall’s sentence.”

The petition also alleges that Hall’s attorneys requested that no one have contact with Hall without written permission prior. Despite this, Hall was reportedly interviewed for the special anyway.

The petition states, “The State gave a third-party civilian otherwise unobtainable physical access to Petitioner and then used the statements that civilian elicited from Petitioner as evidence against petitioner at the penalty phase of his capital murder trial.”