AP has two reports on the wires this morning. "Mexican-born killer put to death in Texas," is by Mike Graczyk.
With the parents of his victims watching a few feet away, a Mexican-born condemned killer apologized before he was executed for his part in a horrific attack on two teenage girls 15 years ago.
"I'm sorry my actions caused you pain," Jose Medellin told the teens' parents late Tuesday. "I hope this brings you the closure that you seek."
Nine minutes later, Medellin was pronounced dead. His execution, the fifth this year in Texas, was delayed for about four hours while the U.S. Supreme Court weighed his appeal.
"It's been a long night," Randy Ertman, whose daughter was killed by Medellin and five other gang members, said after watching the 33-year-old man receive lethal injection.
The appeal to the nation's highest court focused on whether Medellin was denied treaty-guaranteed help from the Mexican consulate when he was arrested.
"Execution prompts concern for detained Mexican," is the second AP report. It written by Jorge Vargas, datelined from Nuevo Laredo.
Mexico is protesting the execution of one of its citizens in Texas despite a world court ruling for a new hearing, expressing concern for the rights of other Mexicans detained in the United States.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said it sent a note of protest to the State Department about Jose Medellin's case, which drew international attention because of allegations that Medellin wasn't allowed to consult the Mexican consulate for legal help following his arrest.
Texas executed Medellin, 33, late Tuesday for the 1993 rape and killing of two teenage girls in Houston.
And:
The Mexican government statement said officials "were concerned for the precedent that (the execution) may create for the rights of Mexican nationals who may be detained in that country."
Reuters' Ed Stoddard writes, "Texas defies World Court with execution."
The World Court last month ordered the U.S. government to "take all measures necessary" to halt the upcoming executions of five Mexicans including Medellin's on the grounds that they had been deprived of their right to consular services after their arrests.
Medellin's execution is sure to anger neighboring Mexico and analysts have said it could make life rough for Americans arrested abroad if other countries decide to evoke the U.S. example and deprive them of their right to consular services.
This typically means diplomats will visit and provide legal advice to their nationals being held by authorities.
Bloomberg's Greg Stohr writes, "Divided U.S. Supreme Court Allows Mexican National's Execution."
A divided U.S. Supreme Court allowed the execution of Jose Ernesto Medellin, a convicted murderer whose case became an international dispute because he wasn't told of his right to seek help from the Mexican consulate.
The justices, voting 5-4, rejected Medellin's bid for a stay of execution, clearing the way for Texas officials to put him to death yesterday by lethal injection. The majority rejected Medellin's contention that Congress and Texas lawmakers needed more time to respond to the court's March 25 ruling in his case.
``Neither the president nor the governor of the state of Texas has represented to us that there is any likelihood of congressional or state legislative action,'' the five-justice majority said.
And:
The four dissenting justices yesterday -- John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and Stephen Breyer -- all said they would have sought input from the Bush administration before letting Texas proceed with the execution. Breyer wrote that Medellin's execution ``will place this nation in violation of international law.''
Stevens Switch
Stevens was part of the 6-3 majority when the court ruled in March. He said yesterday he voted to delay the execution because ``it appears that Texas has not taken action to address the serious national security and foreign policy implications'' of the case.
Earlier coverage is here.
Comments