Execution of Honduran Allowed

Execution of Honduran Allowed

That's the title of Lyle Denniston's updated post at SCOTUS Blog. LINK

UPDATE 4:30 p.m. Without recorded dissent, the Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon refused to delay the execution in Texas of a Honduran for a 2001 murder in Arlington, Texas. The Court’s order (found here) also denied review of Heliberto Chi’s appeal. Justice Antonin Scalia, as Circuit Justice, referred the case to the full Court. There was no written opinion. The execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central time.

It will be Texas' sixth execution of 2008; the second execution in the state this week. It will be the 18th execution in the nation this year.

Texas has by far the most active execution chamber in the nation. With Chi's execution Texas will have been responsible for 411 of the country's 1,117 executions since 1977; more than 36% of all the executions in America.

According to TDCJ, 13 more executions have been scheduled in Texas for the remainder of the year, including four more in the month of August. It's possible that more may be ordered before the end of 2008. One execution has already been set for 2009.