The right to life is a fundamental concept that Democrats want to extinguish. For those people that are facing the death penalty, the road to the chair was long. They have multiple opportunities to get their sentence commuted or prove that a mistake was made with their trial. And when the time finally comes, some protocols must be followed the ensure that last wishes are considered.
Pablo Castro lost his life to an inmate that was set to be put to death. Castro was the father of nine kids and worked at a convenience store when the inmate came in and murdered him.
When the time came for his death, he wanted to have his pastor come in and lay hands on him and say prayers as he was put to death. But when it was time to die, the pastor was nowhere to be seen.
His last wishes were not observed, and the issue made its way to the Supreme Court. The Court ordered that “The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is granted. The motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis and the petition for a writ of certiorari are granted. The Clerk is directed to establish a briefing schedule that will allow the case to be argued in October or November 2021.”
The order for the stay was issued because it was evident that there were things wrong with the man’s trial and death penalty attempt. The case is set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court later in the year.
The report notes that “Prosecutors say [the inmate] stabbed Castro 29 times during a series of robberies in which the inmate and two women sought money following a three-day drug binge. [He] fled to Mexico but was arrested three and a half years later.”
Inmates and free people have rights when they face death. The inmate lawyer, Seth Kretzer, stated failure to let the man have his pastor come in and lay hands on him as he faced death. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice would not allow the man to practice his First Amendment right to practice his religion even in death.
Kretzer stated, “It is hostile toward religion, denying religious exercise at the precise moment it is most needed: when someone is transitioning from this life to the next.” He needed to know that eternal matters were taken care of and deny religious practice violated Constitutional rights.
The lower Court, under the authority of Judge David Hittner, had sided with the prosecutor when he wrote, “[The Texas Department of Criminal Justice] has a compelling interest in maintaining an orderly, safe, and effective process when carrying out an irrevocable, and emotionally charged, procedure.”
What the district court judge had also noted was that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was going to “accommodate [the inmate’s] religious beliefs by giving [him] access to his pastor on the day of execution and allowing him to stand nearby during the execution.” The problem was that the inmate wanted the laying on of hands which were being denied to him.
Dana Moore was the pastor involved in the case, and he noted that “I understand that I will be able to stand in the same room with John during his execution, but I will not be able to physically touch him. I need to be in physical contact with [the inmate] during the most stressful and difficult time of his life in order to give him comfort.”
The pandemic has affected so many people in so many different ways. The son of the man, the inmate, attacked said that “Honestly, if he wants a priest to bless him before he’s sent off, by all means, go ahead. That doesn’t affect me one bit. What affects me is why this process continues to get delayed time and time again. He is clearly taking the Department of Justice for a two-a-ride and they’re paying his fare.”
The Democrats use the pandemic to keep people away from each other and from practicing their religious beliefs. But the Supreme Court has to stand in the gap to make sure that every violation of religious liberty is dealt with so the liberals do not gain ground in their attempts to take freedom away.
