Supreme Court Ignores International Law By Denying Stay Of Execution (UPDATED)

Humberto Leal Garcia, Jr. was sentenced to death in 1994 for rape and murder. Be he was never told, as he should have been, by law, that he had the right to contact the Mexican consulate, which could have given him legal aid.

This right is guaranteed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, signed by the U.S., Mexico, and 171 other nations. In its treatment of Garcia, Texas was in violation of international law…

Last Friday, the Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution until Congress had time to vote on legislation that would require states to comply with the Vienna Convention, thus obligating Texas to reevaluate Garcia’s case. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Jr. stressed the diplomatic implications of the execution — that compliance with international treaties helps the U.S. protect its citizens abroad and advance its foreign policy interests.

The Supreme Court doesn’t see it this way and, sadly, neither does Texas Governor Rick Perry.

UPDATE: Garcia was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 6:21PM CT

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.