Texas Snubs World Court on Execution Stays

Reuters ^ | Thu Feb 6, 7:28 PM ET | C. Bryson Hull

[Republican_Strategist]

HOUSTON (Reuters) - An unrepentant Texas said on Thursday it would ignore a World Court order demanding it stay the executions of two Mexicans, a decision likely to create more friction between the United States and its allies over capital punishment.

The International Court of Justice at The Hague (news - web sites) on Wednesday ordered the U.S. to stay the executions of three Mexicans and reserved the right to intervene in dozens of other cases.

Mexico brought the World Court case last month, arguing that 54 of its citizens on death row should get retrials. It accused U.S. police of violating an international treaty by failing to tell the men of their right to consular assistance after being arrested.

The World Court said it acted in three cases where the men were at risk of execution before the lengthy case is finished.

Two of those affected -- Cesar Robert Fierro Reyna and Roberto Moreno Ramos -- are in Texas and the third, Osvaldo Torres Aguilera, is in Oklahoma. None of the three has an execution date yet.

The State Department is reviewing the order and has not said whether Washington will order Texas and Oklahoma to stay the executions. The U.S. argued the order would interfere with its sovereign right to administer its criminal justice system.

"According to our reading of the law and the treaty, there is no authority for the federal government or this World Court to prohibit Texas from exercising the laws passed by our legislature," said Gene Acuna, a spokesman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The state is by far the nation's death penalty leader.

[Republican_Strategist]

Please help defend the Justice & the Death Penalty, which is daily being assaulted by powerful lobby groups here in the United States, international groups like Amnesty International, and other countries around the world.

Pro Death Penalty

Get us out of the U.S.

Please write your congressperson and senator, urge them to support the death penalty.

Fact: The Death penalty is extremely rare - out of all the hundreds of thousands of homicides totaling around 600,000 - less than a 1,000 have been put to death since the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty in 1973 - there are less than 0.06% of these murderers being put to death for their crime.

[Republican_Strategist]

Made an error - above link was supposed to read: Get Us Out of the U.N.

[Highest Authority]

The world court is as useless as the un .... no, more useless!!!!!!!! They have NO power in the U.S.A.!!!!!!!!!

[The_Victor]

Made an error - above link was supposed to read: Get Us Out of the U.N.

Speaking as a Texan, I sometimes share your "erroneous" sentiment. :)

[Prysson]

The only issue I take with Texas on this point is this.

What took you so long?

[UCFRoadWarrior]

The World Court has no jurisdiction in this matter anyway. Our Constitution allows states the right to pass laws and punish people

The State Dept should just tell the World Court to go to hell. I think they will (more politely than I would)

[TSgt]

Texas vs. World Court...

I'd put my money on Texas :)

Talk about state's rights on a global scale...

[ThinkDifferent]

I'm not as big a fan of the death penalty as most others here, but I'm quite pleased that my state told the World Court to stuff it.

[Tribune7]

Has the World Court ever ordered Saddam Hussein to stop executions?

[newgeezer]

a decision likely to create more friction between the United States and its allies

"Allies" is a term that is so overused these days.

[telebob]

"The International Court of Justice at The Hague (news - web sites) on Wednesday ordered the U.S. to stay the executions of three Mexicans and reserved the right to intervene in dozens of other cases."

Ordered? ORDERED? Reserved the right to intervene? Can't wait until they send their World Court Cops to arrest the perps.

Let's watch now as today's story unfolds..

[Adder]

GO TEXAS!! You tell'em! I also wrote to the State Dept. advising them that their review was a no brainer: the "world court" has no jurisdiction here...or anywhere else for that matter.

[Luna]

No. Saddam isn't the Great Satan, but the United States of America is. So whatever American states do is evil and must be stopped by the World Court and the UN. /sarcasm/

[biblewonk]

"Allies" is a term that is so overused these days.

I used to be so impressed with German engineering.

[deport]

Should anyone be interested in reading them... below is the link to the original posting of this article on Feb. 6, with some 124 comments.....

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Texas Snubs World Court on Execution Stays ^
			Posted by RCW2001 On 02/06/2003 7:21 PM CST with 124 comments

[Republican_Strategist]

Why do you say that? It'd seem wise to be a fan of justice.

[Tribune7]

I know. I should have used the tag.

The question does illustrate the absolute pointlessness of the World Court, and why one should not be concerned about ignoring them.

[tbpiper]

HOUSTON (Reuters) - An unrepentant Texas said...

Sinners against devine authority need to repent. Reuters obiously thinks the world court is such an athority. They speak as if Texas were chastised and needs to changes its ways. Way to go, Texas for giving a Lone Star finger to the world court.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

"According to our reading of the law and the treaty, there is no authority for the federal government or this World Court to prohibit Texas from exercising the laws passed by our legislature," said Gene Acuna, a spokesman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Case Closed!!!

[madrastex]

Maks me proud to be a Texan!