Post by porky2017 on Apr 2, 2008 20:47:30 GMT -5
lose bids for appeal
7 had sought review; ruling last week said another's case couldn't be reopened
07:53 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Associated Press
HOUSTON – Seven Mexican-born inmates on Texas' death row lost their bids for appeal Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court, following the court's ruling last week that another Mexican-born inmate's case couldn't be reopened despite an order from President Bush.
Justices last week voted 6-3 against hearing the case of Jose Medellin, convicted of the rape-slayings of two Houston teenagers 15 years ago, saying Mr. Bush overstepped his authority by trying to order Texas to reopen Mr. Medellin's case.
An international court ruled in 2004 that the convictions of Mr. Medellin and 50 other Mexicans on death rows around the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which provides that people arrested abroad should have access to their home country's consular officials. The court said the prisoners should have hearings to determine whether the violation affected their cases.
The seven inmates whose cases were denied review Monday are among 14 native Mexicans on death row in Texas. They are:
•Cesar Fierro, 51, convicted of the 1979 robbery-slaying of an El Paso taxi driver. He's been on death row more than 28 years.
•Ruben Cardenas, 37, convicted of the rape-slaying of a 16-year-old girl abducted from Edinburg in 1997.
•Felix Rocha, 31, convicted of the slaying and robbery of a security guard outside a Houston club in 1994.
•Virgilio Maldonado, 42, condemned for a 1995 robbery and slaying at a Houston apartment complex.
•Robert Ramos, 53, convicted of the 1992 slayings of his wife and two children at their home in Progreso in Hidalgo County.
•Humberto Leal Garcia, 35, condemned for the abduction, rape and fatal bludgeoning of a 16-year-old San Antonio girl in 1994.
•Ignacio Gomez, 38, convicted of the fatal shooting of three people in El Paso in 1996.
Source: associated press.
7 had sought review; ruling last week said another's case couldn't be reopened
07:53 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Associated Press
HOUSTON – Seven Mexican-born inmates on Texas' death row lost their bids for appeal Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court, following the court's ruling last week that another Mexican-born inmate's case couldn't be reopened despite an order from President Bush.
Justices last week voted 6-3 against hearing the case of Jose Medellin, convicted of the rape-slayings of two Houston teenagers 15 years ago, saying Mr. Bush overstepped his authority by trying to order Texas to reopen Mr. Medellin's case.
An international court ruled in 2004 that the convictions of Mr. Medellin and 50 other Mexicans on death rows around the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which provides that people arrested abroad should have access to their home country's consular officials. The court said the prisoners should have hearings to determine whether the violation affected their cases.
The seven inmates whose cases were denied review Monday are among 14 native Mexicans on death row in Texas. They are:
•Cesar Fierro, 51, convicted of the 1979 robbery-slaying of an El Paso taxi driver. He's been on death row more than 28 years.
•Ruben Cardenas, 37, convicted of the rape-slaying of a 16-year-old girl abducted from Edinburg in 1997.
•Felix Rocha, 31, convicted of the slaying and robbery of a security guard outside a Houston club in 1994.
•Virgilio Maldonado, 42, condemned for a 1995 robbery and slaying at a Houston apartment complex.
•Robert Ramos, 53, convicted of the 1992 slayings of his wife and two children at their home in Progreso in Hidalgo County.
•Humberto Leal Garcia, 35, condemned for the abduction, rape and fatal bludgeoning of a 16-year-old San Antonio girl in 1994.
•Ignacio Gomez, 38, convicted of the fatal shooting of three people in El Paso in 1996.
Source: associated press.