Entries tagged with “Stays of Execution”

Oct 21, 2021

Alabama Executes Intellectually Disabled Death-Row Prisoner

Alabama has exe­cut­ed an intel­lec­tu­al­ly dis­abled death-row pris­on­er who was sen­tenced to death by his tri­al judge despite a non-unan­i­mous sen­tenc­ing rec­om­men­da­tion by his jury. Willie B. Smith III was exe­cut­ed by t…

Jan 10, 2022

Alabama Federal Court Issues Injunction Against Executing Matthew Reeves by Any Method but Nitrogen Hypoxia

An Alabama fed­er­al judge has issued an order halt­ing the sched­uled January 27, 2022 exe­cu­tion of Matthew Reeves (pic­tured). On January 7, Judge R. Austin Huffaker of the U.S. District Court for the Middl…

May 11, 2016

Alabama Prepares to Execute 65-Year-Old Mentally Ill Prisoner Disabled by Several Strokes

UPDATE: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit stayed Madison’s exe­cu­tion, order­ing ora…

May 15, 2020

As Blood Spatter Evidence Causes Jurors to Question His Guilt, Missouri Prepares to Execute Walter Barton

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has vacat­ed a stay of exe­cu­tion for Missou…

Mar 01, 2021

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of February 22, 2021

NEWS (2/​25/​21) — Alabama: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11^th Circuit has denied habeas relief for Alabama death-row pris­on­er Charles Clark, who the tri­al court had sen­tenced to death based upon a non‑u…

Jul 01, 2020

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of June 29, 2020

NEWS (7/​2/​20) — Florida: The Florida Supreme Court denied relief to death-row pris­on­er Lero…

Feb 15, 2021

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of February 8, 2021

NEWS (2/​11/​21) — Alabama: In a splin­tered vote with three con­ser­v­a­tive jus­tices not­ing their dis­sents, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Alabama Attorney General’s appli­ca­tion to vacate a …

Nov 09, 2020

Citing COVID-19, Governor Grants Reprieve to Tennessee Death-Row Prisoner Pervis Payne

Citing the coro­n­avirus pan­dem­ic, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has grant­ed a tem­po­rary reprieve to death-row pris­on­er Pervis Payne, halt­ing his sched­uled December 3, 2020 exe­cu­tion. The exe­cu­tion was the last schedu…

Dec 02, 2020

Citing State’s Lack of Execution Drugs, South Carolina Supreme Court Stays Richard Moore’s Execution

Saying that the state lacked the abil­i­ty to car­ry out a lethal injec­tion, the South Carolina Supreme Court has stayed the sched­uled December 4, 2020 exe­cu­tion of Richard Moore (pic­tured). With no state executions …

Mar 11, 2021

Civil Rights Groups Accuse California District Attorneys of Unlawfully Interfering in Death Penalty Lawsuit

Five civ­il rights orga­ni­za­tions have asked a California appeals court to block the efforts of three coun­ty dis­trict attor­neys to lift stays of exe­cu­tion agreed to by the state as part of a fed­er­al-court set­tle­ment of death-row pri…

May 21, 2021

Court Halts Execution of Terminally Ill Idaho Death-Row Prisoner

An Idaho tri­al court has stayed the sched­uled June 2, 2021 exe­cu­tion of Gerald Pizzuto, Jr. (pic­tured), halt­ing state pros­e­cu­tors’ efforts to put the hos­pice-bound ter­mi­nal­ly ill pris­on­er to death before his stage…

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…

Dec 28, 2020

District Court Voids Lisa Montgomery Execution Date; Federal Prosecutors Appeal

Saying the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) act­ed unlaw­ful­ly in reset­ting Lisa Montgomery’s exe­cu­tion for January 12, 2021, a fed­er­al judge in Washington has for a sec­ond time blocked efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice to pu…

Jan 28, 2022

Divided Supreme Court Vacates Injunction, Permits Alabama to Execute Intellectually Disabled Prisoner

A divid­ed U.S. Supreme Court vot­ed 5 – 4 on January 27, 2022 to allow Alabama to exe­cute an intel­lec­tu­al­ly dis­abled death-row pris­on­er, vacat­ing an injunc­tion issued by a fed­er­al dis­trict court on January 7 and unan­i­mous­ly upheld by a pan­el of the U…

Jun 29, 2021

Drug Manufacturer Says Nevada ​‘Surreptitiously’ Obtained Drug for Execution in Violation of State and Federal Law

For the sec­ond time in three years, the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) and the state of Nevada are fac­ing legal action from a phar­ma­ceu­ti­cal man­u­fac­tur­er after obtain­ing drugs for an exe­cu­tion in violati…

Oct 18, 2021

Federal Appeals Court Reinstates Oklahoma Death-Row Prisoners to Lawsuit in Decision That May Require State to Vacate Execution Dates

In a deci­sion with poten­tial to vacate a num­ber of Oklahoma exe­cu­tion dates, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has held that a low­er fed­er­al court abused its dis­cre­tion in dis­miss­ing six death-row pris­on­ers from a law­suit challenging…

Sep 23, 2020

Federal Government Conducts Sixth and Seventh Executions Amid Continuing Litigation Over COVID-19 and the Legality of Its Execution Protocol

The fed­er­al gov­ern­ment con­duct­ed its sixth and sev­enth exe­cu­tions in ten weeks on September 22 and 24, putting William Emmett LeCroy (pic­tured) and Christopher Vialva to death amid con­tin­u­ing chal­lenges to the fed…

Aug 14, 2018

Florida Justices Halt Execution as Handwritten Notes Contradict Police Testimony

The Florida Supreme Court has halt­ed the exe­cu­tion of Jose Antonio Jimenez (pic­tured), sched­uled for August 14, 2018. The 

May 01, 2020

Missouri Supreme Court Denies Stay of May 19 Execution for Brain-Damaged Man Tried Five Times for the Same Murder

In a case long marred by pros­e­cu­to­r­i­al mis­con­duct, the Missouri Supreme Court has denied a stay of exe­cu­tion for Walter Barton (pic­tured), reject­ing his claims of inno­cence and incom­pe­tence to be exe­cut­ed. The cou…

May 11, 2020

New Podcast: Capital Defense Lawyer Kelley Henry on Death Penalty Litigation During a Pandemic

In the May 2020 edi­tion of Discussions with DPIC, vet­er­an cap­i­tal defense lawyer Kelley Henry (pic­tured), who is rep­re­sent­ing sev­er­al Tennessee death-row pris­on­ers fac­ing exe­cu­tion dates in 2020, speaks w…

Sep 16, 2020

News Brief — COVID-19 Halts Another State Execution

NEWS (9/​15/​20) — Texas: A Bexar County tri­al court judge has issued an order with­draw­ing the death war…

Feb 29, 2020

News Brief — Death Warrants and Stays Through February 2020

NEWS (2/​29/​20): Four states and the fed­er­al gov­ern­ment had sched­uled 12 exe­cu­tions to take place in January or February 2020. Through February 2020, four exe­cu­tions had been car­ried out: two in Texas and one each in Georgia and Tennessee. …

Apr 06, 2020

News Brief — Fourth Texas Execution Put on Hold Because of Coronavirus Pandemic

NEWS (4/​6/​20) — Texas: A Texas tri­al court has resched­uled the exe­cu­tion of Billy Joe Wardlow from April 29, 2020 until July 8, 2020, the fourth exe­cu­tion in Texas that has been post­poned because of the coro­n­avirus pan­dem­ic. Distr…

May 07, 2020

News Brief — Texas Appeals Court Stays Randall Mays’ Execution on Issue of Intellectual Disability

NEWS (5/​7/​20) — Texas: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has grant­ed a stay of exe­cu­tion to Randall Mays, direct­ing a Henders…

Apr 01, 2020

News Brief — Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Stays Third Execution Amidst Coronavirus Concerns

NEWS (4/​1/​20) — Texas: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has grant­ed a 60-day stay of exe­cu­tion to 

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. 

Apr 14, 2020

News Brief — Governor DeWine Puts Off Three More Ohio Executions, Citing Drug Unavailability

NEWS (4/​14/​20) — Ohio: Citing the con­tin­u­ing unavail­abil­i­ty of lethal-injec­tion drugs to car­ry out exe­cu­tions in the state, Governor Mike DeWine has issued reprieves post­pon­ing the exe­cu­tions of three more Ohio death-row prisoners.

Dec 07, 2021

Oklahoma Executes Bigler Stouffer After Governor Rejects Board Recommendation for Clemency, Federal Courts Deny Stay

Oklahoma exe­cut­ed Bigler Jobe Stouffer II (pic­tured, at his clemen­cy hear­ing) on December 9, 2021, after Governor Kevin Stitt reject­ing a par­dons board rec­om­men­da­tion to com­mute his sen­tence to li…

Dec 26, 2021

Oklahoma Federal Court Stays Execution of James Coddington

James Coddington, the last of the sev­en death-row pris­on­ers sched­uled to be put to death in Oklahoma’s five-month exe­cu­tion spree, has received a stay of exe­cu­tion. On December 23, 2021, U.S. District Cou…

Aug 05, 2021

Presidential Commission Hears Recommendations for Reforms to Supreme Court’s Death-Penalty Practices

Legal reform advo­cates and a com­mit­tee of high-pro­file Supreme Court prac­ti­tion­ers have urged the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States to rec­om­mend changes in the way the Court han­dles emer­gency applic…

Nov 22, 2017

South Carolina Seeks Drug-Secrecy Law to Carry Out Execution that was Never Going to Happen

Claiming that a lack of lethal-injec­tion drugs was pre­vent­ing the state from exe­cut­ing Bobby Wayne Stone (pic­tured, right) on December 1, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (pic­tured, left) urged state legisla…

Nov 20, 2020

South Carolina Seeks to Execute Richard Moore December 4, But Won’t Say How

South Carolina has issued a death war­rant to exe­cute Richard Moore (pic­tured) on December 4, 2020, but, his lawyers say, the state has refused to tell him how it intends to car­ry it out. In a motion to st…

Jun 17, 2021

South Carolina Supreme Court Halts Executions of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens

The South Carolina Supreme Court has vacat­ed death war­rants for two death-row pris­on­ers sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed this month, stay­ing their exe­cu­tions until the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) com­plies with a newly…

Feb 10, 2021

Supreme Court Lets Stand Federal Appeals Court Injunction Halting Alabama Execution on Claim of Religious Discrimination

Four hours after Alabama was sched­uled to exe­cute death-row pris­on­er Willie B. Smith III on February 11, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a fed­er­al appeals court injunc­tion bar­ring the exe­cu­tion from going f…

Mar 25, 2022

Supreme Court Rules that Texas Must Allow Death-Row Prisoner’s Pastor to Touch and Pray Over Him During His Execution

On March 24, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed low­er court orders that had denied a Texas death-row prisoner’s request for his pas­tor to touch him and audi­bly pray dur­ing his exe­cu­tion. In rul­ing for John He…

Jan 13, 2021

Supreme Court Vacates Stays of Execution, Paves Way for Late-Night Execution of Lisa Montgomery

After a series of rul­ings by the United States Supreme Court sum­mar­i­ly vacat­ed two stays of exe­cu­tion and denied attempts to rein­state two oth­ers, the fed­er­al gov­ern­ment exe­cut­ed death row pris­on­er Lisa Montgomery…

Nov 05, 2020

Symposium: The Growing Impact of the Supreme Court Shadow Docket on Death Penalty Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ​“shad­ow dock­et” is hav­ing a grow­ing and dis­pro­por­tion­ate impact on the Court’s res­o­lu­tion of con­tro­ver­sial social issues, with some of its most pro­found effects being felt in death penal­ty cas­es. The term, coined i…

Apr 17, 2020

Tennessee Supreme Court Stays Prisoner’s Execution Because of Investigative Time Lost to Pandemic

The Tennessee Supreme Court has stayed the June 4, 2020 exe­cu­tion of death-row pris­on­er Oscar Franklin Smith (pic­tured) and resched­uled his exe­cu­tion for February 4, 2021. 

Sep 16, 2021

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

Apr 25, 2022

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Stays Melissa Lucio’s Execution and Orders Hearing on Her Innocence Claims

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has halt­ed the sched­uled April 27, 2022 exe­cu­tion of Melissa Lucio

Mar 04, 2022

Texas Court Stays Michael Gonzales Execution to Permit Review of Claims of Intellectual Disability, Prosecutorial Misconduct

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has stayed the March 8, 2022 exe­cu­tion of death-row pris­on­er Michael Gonzales (pic­tured, sec­ond from left, with his legal team) based on evi­dence that he may be inel­i­gi­ble for t…

Oct 12, 2021

Texas Federal Court Stays Execution of Stephen Barbee on Religious Freedom Issue, Defense Seeks Review of False Forensic Testimony

A fed­er­al court in Texas has stayed the October 12, 2021 exe­cu­tion of Texas death-row pris­on­er Stephen Barbee on his claims that the state’s refusal to allow his spir­i­tu­al advi­sor to admin­is­ter last rites, touch h…

Apr 07, 2020

U.S. Court of Appeals Lifts Injunction on Federal Executions, Returns Case to Lower Court for Further Litigation

A bad­ly divid­ed fed­er­al court of appeals has lift­ed a court order that had pre­vent­ed the fed­er­al gov­ern­ment from resum­ing exe­cu­tions after a hia­tus of more than 16 years. In a frac­tured rul­ing with three sep­a­rate opin­ions and no rationale…

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…