Justice Sotomayor Asks Texas Governor Abbott To Grant Executive Reprieve To Death Row Prisoner
Tonight the Supreme Court denied a stay of execution in Roberson v. Texas. There were no noted dissents, but Justice Sotomayor issued a ten-page statement respecting the denial of the application. Justice Sotomayor acknowledged that the defendant “presents no cognizable federal claim.” Therefore, the Court cannot grant relief. But the final paragraph includes an unusual plea:
Under these circumstances, a stay permitting examination of Roberson’s credible claims of actual innocence is imperative; yet this Court is unable to grant it. That means only one avenue for relief remains open: an executive reprieve. In Texas, as in virtually every other State and the federal government, “[t]he Executive has the power to exercise discretion to grant cl
Article from Reason.com
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