Texas Executes Mexican Despite Objections
The NY Times reports: “In a case that has drawn international attention, Texas executed José E. Medellín on Tuesday night in defiance of an international court ruling and despite pleas from the Bush administration for a new hearing.”
SCOTUS Blog offers these updates: Medellin, Kennedy and the Meaning of Silence and Medellin executed as Court refuses delay and Texas asks no delay of execution. The second post begins:
Splitting 5-4, the Supreme Court refused Tuesday night to delay the execution in Texas of Mexican national Jose Ernesto Medellin. The majority’s unsigned opinion, and dissents by each of the other four Justices, can be read here. Since the death warrant was to remain in effect until 1 a.m. Eastern time, Texas went ahead with the exection that had originally been scheduled for 7 p.m. It was delayed at least three hours by the Court’s review of a series of claims for relief by Medellin’s attorneys. The Houston Chronicle reported: “Medellin was pronounced dead at 9:57 p.m., nine minutes after the lethal dose was administered.” (Texas is on Central time.)
The AP has this article: Crime-weary Mexico barely focuses on US execution. It reports:
Mexicans struggling with increasingly gruesome crimes at home devoted the least attention in recent memory to the execution of one of their citizens in Texas . . .
Some Mexicans on Wednesday even called for the death penalty at home . . .