Texas bans clergy from executions after Supreme Court ruling

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

By JAKE BLEIBERG
38 minutes ago

DALLAS (AP) — Texas prisons will no longer allow clergy in the death chamber after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the scheduled execution of a man who argued his religious freedom would be violated if his Buddhist spiritual adviser couldn’t accompany him.

Effective immediately, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will only permit prison security staff into the death chamber, a spokesman said Wednesday. The policy change comes in response to the high court’s ruling staying the execution of Patrick Murphy , a member of the “Texas 7” gang of escaped prisoners.

Texas previously allowed state-employed clergy to accompany inmates into the execution chamber, but its prison staff included only Christian and Muslim clerics.

In light of this policy, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Texas couldn’t move forward with Murphy’s punishment unless his Buddhist adviser or another Buddhist reverend of the state’s choosing accompanying him.

-snip-


Read more: https://apnews.com/2e871ee78aeb425385a7fda17d9423ab

[abqtommy]

1. Sore Losers

deny a condemned man a shred of comfort before he dies!

[customerserviceguy]

7. Chances are

the condemned man did that to his victims.

[Sgent]

15. So your saying

the State of Texas is no better than a condemned murder? Shouldn't we (the people) take the high ground?

[LanternWaste]

16. Chances are, the state isn't supposed to reduce itself to his level.

Although maybe you have a valid reason to illustrate an irrelevant false equivalency.

[0rganism]

18. that's quite unrelated

unless you happen to hold the weird opinion that the goal of the death penalty is to make the state's behavior as nasty as the convict's in some kind of bizarre tit-for-tat exchange.

[walkingman]

2. Want to make damn sure that they can kill someone without any delay - Praise Jesus.

Makes me wish there really was a hell because there are a lot in the Texas Lege that would be well qualified.

[DRoseDARs]

3. So their response to violating the religious rights of one inmate is to violate the rights of all?

Quite the braintrust they've got there.

[Igel]

11. The finding wasn't "the Buddhist had a right to have his advisor there."

The finding was "if Xians can have an advisor there, then the Buddhist has the same right."

Now they have the same rights.

[DRoseDARs]

17. Which is no rights. TX officials took this action, had nothing to do w/the ruling bt rather in spite

The judge ordered no such thing, TX officials decided to be petty assholes. I know, not a stretch, but this was a bit outrageous even for Texas.

[bluestarone]

4. After the execution will they change it back?

I'm betting yes!

[Socal31]

5. I'm against the death penalty partly because of cost.....

...but mainly due to the LEO and prosecutor misconduct, and inherent prejudice/racism in juries.


That being said, my anti-DP stance doesn't change the fact that no .gov funds should be spent on the fantasy of religion.

[keithbvadu2]

6. Freedom of religion - if you are the right religion.

[BlueIdaho]

8. Why is the government still killing people? nt.

[Smackdown2019]

9. Who cares

If the convict killed someone, he should meet his maker. Only issues the supreme court should be making decisions are case of possible cases of innocence. The delay or try to deflect the long overdue wheels of justice has hampered our courts, prisons, state finances and the VICTIMS.

Frankly, in our times, DNA and/or cameras should sum up a guilty verdict; but bad actors in the justice system can cause innocent indictments onto poverty stricken individuals that could not fight the injustice system. For that reason I do hold for the check of case to ensure the innocent are free and the guilty do pay. Unfortunately, guilty waste the judicial system to delay and in some cases delay innocent convicted death role inmates from clearing their cases due to delay tactics as such.

In summation, texas was kind to the inmate in this case.... they could of honored his wish and he would not be fighting the supreme court case.....

Now, texas is being an EEO for death role... no one is allowed to hear ya in the chamber.....

[bitterross]

13. We CARE because it's not about the inmate, it's about the preferential treatment of Xtians.

I could give a rip about a murderer.

What I care about is the state of TX gives preferential treatment to Christianity. The fact they have Muslim clerics on staff has got to be because, at some time in the past, they were forced to do so. If I spend some time on the web I can probably find a court case about it.

When courts weigh in on issues like this the rulings can be used in other cases. If the state is forced to treat all religions equally in this instance, it gives weight to claims, in subsequent cases, the state must always treat all religions equally. These cases need not arise in the prison system. They could arise in any area where the state is the controlling actor in policy, employment and rights in general.

It's important for equal rights.

[Coventina]

10. Ugh. And this shows that they're morally superior to the criminal.......how?

FU Texas Dept. of Criminal Injustice!

[RockRaven]

12. Frankly, a state-run prison should have nothing to say about religion, death penalty or not.

Whatever rights an incarcerated, or soon-to-be executed, person has to have visitors of their choosing at whatever times/situations they are allowed to have visitors should be unchanged by the religious identity/role of the chosen visitor. It should not make one iota of difference if they are a cleric, or guru, or not.

I hope this twists the pro-death penalty Jesus-humpers into knots though. So conflicted they must be.

[marble falls]

14. Next we could compel the condemned to walk on Lego's barefoot to the execution chamber ...

Don't these "Christians" remember learning Christ saved another condemned man on the cross beside him?