An Odd Citizen’s Search For Vanishing Freedoms

From USA Today the news that the Supreme Court refused to block the execution of John Allen Muhammad, the so-called “DC Sniper.”

It is no surprise that Obama’s appointee, Justice Sotomayor, joined with two other liberal court members to disparage the court decision.

Justices Stevens, joined by Ginsburg and Sotomayor, wrote, “By denying Muhammad’s stay application, we have allowed Virginia to truncate our deliberative process on a matter — involving a death row inmate — that demands the most careful attention. This result is particularly unfortunate in light of the limited time Muhammad was given to make his case in the district court.”

The statement continued, “I do not dissent from the Court’s decision to deny certiorari. I do, however, remain firmly convinced that no state should be allowed to foreshorten this Court’s orderly review of … first-time habeas petitions by executing prisoners before that review can be completed.”

Should the supreme court be the final arbiter on every death penalty case?

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