Supreme Court Asked to Intervene in Death Penalty Case
Ten days before death row inmate Humberto Leal's scheduled execution, his attorneys and the Mexican government have asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution, claiming that Leal's consular rights were violated when he was convicted and sentenced to death in 1995.
Leal's lawyers, Maurie Levin and Sandra L. Babcock, filed a petition for writ of certiorari and a stay motion today that will seek to delay his July 7 execution and have the Supreme Court review Leal's case, along with those of other Mexican nationals on death row who were denied the ...
Comments (10)
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bear in mind,this man did NOT call the consulate before he raped,sodomised,and killed a 16 year old girl.But NOW~he's not legal.Truly,does that matter? Does it!???
Hannah Katz
Murdering rapists always have one excuse or another. And those who break into our country to commit these crimes should be punished most of all.
Dale H Curry via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Mary LynnVnZandt Neil: Yes it is important. Our nation signed the Geneva accords, promising to notify his government. It is our word.
Peggy Santschi-Yacoben via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Lol! Now I get it we have to follow the laws but they don't!We seem to really have a problem in this country with the concept so how long have we been paying for this piece of crap to sit on Death row?
Karen Hawkins via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kill a minor in the act of also committing a sexual crime. DIE. I have a 16 year old daughter, I'm just sorry I won't be there to watch.
Robbie Cooper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
SCOTUS has already ruled on this exact issue (2008); Texas does not have to abide by international court rulings. Ask rapist/murderer Jose Medellin how that worked out for him...oh wait...you can't, Texas executed him already (despite Mexico's objections to us killing their citizens who killed our citizens).
V Marshall
The unintended consequences of the protectionist laws we have created around illegal immigration are rampant. Sanctuary laws prohibit law enforcement from asking about citizenship. How then are they supposed to know that they should inform the consulate because they have arrested a Mexican citizen if they are not allowed to ask?
Jeff Nelson
Let this be a lesson to all the other illegal pieces of trash in the great State of Texas.
c Parilo
This is why 99% of the people HATE these slip n fall lawyers. Useless and baseless appeals. This is an OLD argument. This was all decided in 2008. Just last week: U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia is quoted: Leal's claims are "utterly lacking in arguable merit." and the fact that Senator Leahy has INTRODUCED legislation is "little more than highly speculative predictions from a variety of political science professors and a handful of hopeful executive branch and congressional officers." The EXACT same case came before Perry and SCOTUS in 2008 for murderer and illegal alien Jose Medellin. He's dead and bones are dust now. Why this isnt summarily throw out and sanctions imposed is beyond me.
Annette Bryant
There are too many lawyers who only want to make a reputation and MONEY! They do not tell them that they can have DNA test or their other rights. The prosecuting attorney will pay a psychologist big bucks to come in, talk to the accused for 30 minutes, then convience the jury that the inmate is a danger even to the guards and must be executed. State appointed attorneys are often shoddy and inexperienced. If the condemed wants a DNA test or the consulate at any time, even if it is 10 years after the original trial, then they should have one. I know of two inmates at Polunsky Unit on death row (and one that has already been murdered by TX.) that have been begging for DNA text for years because they did not know that they had to ask for these test at the time of the trial! One of the inmates has been advised that DNA was found on the killing instrument, however; they have not said who the DNA belongs to...because they do not know! The inmate has been living in a cage on death roll for 17 years as well as another man who is also accused of the same murder! I am sorry regarding all you Pro Death fighters, but I believe in a Fair Trial!