Man Granted Execution Delay After Requesting Pastor’s Touch in Death Chamber
His lawyer argued that denying him the right to have his pastor lay hands on him during the execution amounted to a spiritual “gag order.”
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Supreme Court halted the execution of a man scheduled to be given a lethal injection Wednesday night after agreeing to consider his request to have his pastor vocalize prayers and lay hands on him in the death chamber. John Henry Ramirez, 37, was scheduled to be executed for the 2004 slaying of Pablo Castro, a convenience store worker. Ramirez’s legal team has argued that not allowing his pastor to touch him and pray aloud as he dies is a violation of religious freedom; one of his lawyers called the denial a spiritual “gag order.” Ramirez’s case is scheduled to be argued this fall.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court halts the execution of John Ramirez so that the court can fully consider Ramirez's request that Texas allow his pastor to audibly pray and lay hands on him during the execution. Before SCOTUS' intervention, the execution had been set for tonight. pic.twitter.com/sDp73zkAIJ
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) September 9, 2021
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