The execution drama in Texas continues

Yesterday, danarheaelliott kept a diary of Texas’ upcoming execution of Robert Roberson for the 2002 death of his infant daughter, allegedly from “shaken baby syndrome” – one of the questionable death penalty cases I highlighted here last month.

And last night Side Pocket followed the increasingly byzantine last-minute legal challenges after both SCOTUS and Texas Governor Ken Abbot refused to intervene, with a Texas judge first stepping in to stop the execution, only to be overruled by the Texas Court of Appeals.

As it happened, that wasn’t the end of this particularly sad and sad story – at least not yet. As the Guardian reported this morning, the Texas Supreme Court (!?) actually intervened at the proverbial last minute to overrule the appeals court and reinstate the local court’s injunction against this particular execution:

A Committee More than 80 Texas lawmakers, including at least 30 Republicans, had asked the parole board and governor to stop the execution and, in a last-ditch effort, subpoenaed Roberson to testify next week. A judge in Travis County, Texas, blocked the execution late Thursday afternoon, less than two hours before it was scheduled to take place at the Texas State Prison in Huntsville, so Roberson could testify.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned that ruling late Thursday night, but lawmakers appealed and the state Supreme Court joined them, issuing a preliminary injunction around 10 p.m.

…

Texas representatives Joe Moody and Jeff Leach, who orchestrated Roberson’s subpoena and championed his cause, praised the court’s decision in a written statement. “We look forward to welcoming Robert to the Texas capital and, along with 31 million Texans, finally giving him – and the truth – a chance to be heard,” they wrote.

The case sparked national outrage as Roberson’s lawyers insisted there was no crime and that medical records showed his daughter had died of pneumonia that developed into sepsis.

At least Roberson will finally get the chance to testify about his case before the Texas legislature next week, but will Abbot and the rest of his death penalty fanatics continue to push for his execution after his testimony?