Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Crime and Consequences

Criminal Law

: Crime and Consequences

Medellin Execution

By Kent Scheidegger et al.

As of 6:16 CDT, the Houston Chronicle reports that Texas is waiting to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court before proceeding with the execution of Jose Medellin. Update: The Supreme Court denied the habeas petition and stay 5-4, and Medellin was executed and pronounced dead at 9:57 CDT. SCOTUSblog has the opinion here. The opinion is somewhat cryptic, but it appears that the majority is convinced there was no prejudice, as Judge Cochran was in the Texas CCA, and as the trial court ruled long ago. The per curiam opinion says, The beginning premise for any stay, and indeed for the assumption that Congress or the legislature might seek to intervene in this suit, must be that petitioner?s confession was obtained unlawfully. This is highly unlikely as a matter of domestic or international law...continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime and Consequences on August 05, 2008 (boomark / email).