[weegee]

Gov. Rick Perry, in a rare and uncharacteristic move Thursday, spared the life of condemned prisoner Kenneth Foster, hours before he was to be executed for his role in a San Antonio robbery-shooting.

The halt to Thursday's execution marked only the second time since Texas resumed carrying out executions in 1982 that the parole board voted to stop an execution this close to punishment time. And in that case, in 2004, Perry rejected the board's recommendation and the prisoner was executed.

But this time, Perry agreed with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles' equally unusual recommendation...

So the governor can ONLY act when the parole board gives him opportunity, and they've only done so one other time.

"Rare" indeed. Actually it comes down to 50% of the time the governor commuted a sentence.

[weegee]

He was the getaway car driver. Did he turn his friend in? Or did he shield him from law enforcement? Did he protect him at trial?

[Drew68]

I don't disagree with the stay of execution considering the triggerman was justly executed and the other two accomplices (one of whom murdered a cab driver only two weeks prior) are only serving life.

As long as all three of these guys never breath freedom again, I can live with this decision.

[CaptRon]

uncharacteristic move

This is opinion, not news. Does the author know the Governor that well to determine what is characteristic of him?

[ravingnutter]

Maybe Perry thinks he needs a get-away man on his side when the public finds out about his toll road scams.

Also, heard on KTSA yesterday that the murdered man's brother was on his way to witness the execution and found out about this on the radio. Perry could have at least tried to contact the family, what a jerk.