Political and Legislative
The Supreme Court Considers Religious Accommodations During Death Row Executions
The Supreme Court on Tuesday considered the kinds of spiritual accommodations prisons are required to provide death row inmates during execution, with some justices appearing perplexed over how to define the scope of inmates’ rights.
The dispute pitted the religious rights of death row inmates in their final living moments against the interest of prison officials in carrying out executions efficiently and with minimal risk of interference.
The case before the court Tuesday concerned John Ramirez, who was sentenced to death for a brutal a 2004 murder, and who claims Texas is poised to execute him in a manner that would violate his religious rights.
