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More on Panetti Ruling

By Kristin Houle

In his order denying Scott Panetti's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Judge Sparks further ordered that Panetti's execution shall be stayed pending the outcome of the appeal in this case.Here's more on the ruling from The Austin Chronicle ("Panetti Sane Enough to Die," April 4, 2008):"Texas death row inmate Scott Panetti is 'seriously mentally ill' and has been for some time ? in fact, as U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled on March 26, he was 'under the influence of this severe mental illness' when, in 1992, he murdered his in-laws, Joe and Amanda Alvarado, in Fredericksburg and remained ill 'when he insisted on representing himself at trial.' Yet Panetti is sane enough to be executed, Sparks ruled. His 'delusions do not prevent his rational understanding of the causal connection between those murders and his death sentence, and he in fact has such an understanding,' Sparks wrote...continue to full post

Full post as published by Prevention Not Punishment on April 03, 2008 (boomark / email).