Entries tagged with “Ruben Gutierrez”

Jun 05, 2020

As Federal Litigation Continues, Ruben Gutierrez Seeks Stay of Execution, Citing Concerns About Pandemic

Texas death-row pris­on­er Ruben Gutierrez (pic­tured) has asked the Texas state courts to stay his exe­cu­tion because of the COVID-19 pan­dem­ic as fed­er­al lit­i­ga­tion con­tin­ues on his efforts to obtain DNA test­ing and …

Sep 07, 2021

Condemned Prisoner Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Stay His Execution Unless Texas Corrections Officials Permit His Religious Advisor to ​‘Lay on Hands’ While He is Being Put to Death

Texas death-row pris­on­er John Ramirez (pic­tured) is ask­ing the United States Supreme Court to stay his September 8, 2021 exe­cu­tion, argu­ing that the state’s refusal to allow his pas­tor to pray out loud with him an…

Oct 24, 2019

Courts Grant Stays of Execution on Procedural Grounds in Two Cases Raising Significant Guilt-Related Questions

Courts in Texas and Florida have grant­ed stays of exe­cu­tion to two men who faced immi­nent exe­cu­tion despite seri­ous ques­tions as to their involve­ment in the mur­ders for which they were sen­tenced to death. On Octob…

Jun 13, 2020

Death Warrant Update — Courts Halt Executions in Tennessee, Pennsylvania; Vacate Stay in Texas

NEWS (6/​12/​20) — Texas: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit lift­ed a stay of exe­cu­tion the fed­er­al d…

Apr 05, 2021

Federal Court Approves DNA Testing for Man Who Was Spared Execution by Texas’s Refusal to Allow Religious Adviser in Execution Chamber

A fed­er­al dis­trict court has ruled that Texas uncon­sti­tu­tion­al­ly denied DNA test­ing to a death-row pris­on­er who is alive today only because of a last-minute stay of exe­cu­tion grant­ed because the state refused to allow his reli­gious advis­er to acco…

Jun 17, 2020

News Brief — U.S. Supreme Court Stays Execution of Ruben Gutierrez in Texas

NEWS (6/​16/​20) — Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the exe­cu­tion of Ruben Gutierrez over con­cerns about the refusal by the state of Texas to allow a chap­lain to accom­pa­ny Gutierrez in the exe­cu­tion chamber. 

Sep 16, 2021

Texas Court Halts Ruben Gutierrez Execution Pending Outcome of Supreme Court Case on Exercise of Religion in the Execution Chamber

May 07, 2021

Texas House of Representatives Passes Bill to Limit Death-Penalty Eligibility for Defendants Who Do Not Kill

In an over­whelm­ing bipar­ti­san vote, the Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that ends death-penal­ty lia­bil­i­ty under the state’s con­tro­ver­sial ​“law of partie…

Apr 26, 2021

Texas Revises Execution Protocol to Permit Spiritual Advisers in Death Chamber

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has amend­ed its exe­cu­tion pro­to­col to per­mit a con­demned pris­on­er to be accom­pa­nied in the exe­cu­tion cham­ber by a spir­i­tu­al advis­er of his or her own choos­ing. The protocol …

Sep 09, 2021

U.S. Supreme Court Stays Texas Execution, Agrees to Review Contours of the Right to Religious Exercise in the Execution Chamber

In an after-hours order issued on September 8, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court halt­ed Texas’s planned exe­cu­tion of John Henry Ramirez and agreed to review his claim that the state’s refusal to allow his pas­tor to ​“la…