Supreme Court Halts America’s First Execution! 

United States: On Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court somehow managed to stop the execution of Robert Roberson, a man who was set to be the first in the U.S. executed for a “shaken baby” death. His 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, died in 2002, and Roberson has always said he is innocent. He was supposed to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m., but the court’s decision meant he was not executed before the death warrant expired at midnight. 

Just several minutes before 10 PM local time, the Supreme Court put a stay, or a temporary stop, in place after state lawmakers issued a subpoena for Roberson to testify at the hearing next week on his case — which he cannot do if he is dead, the high court pointed out. 

As reported by nbc news, a lower court granted a temporary restraining order to stop the execution; an appeals court reversed that decision; lawmakers took the matter to the state Supreme Court and received the stay. 

It was not clear how long the stay would last but Justice Evan Young of the supreme court mentioned that the lower court should not delay. “The independent action should, therefore, be sent to the district court to move to the merits with the greatest possible speed, with this Court’s oversight,” he argued. 

Amanda Hernandez, the director of communications for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said that Roberson “was shocked, to say the least.” There are definitely things to admire with him: ‘He praised God and thanked his supporters.’ 

Hernandez stated that Roberson was taken back to his unit and that she is not sure what happens next. “He did receive a stay for tonight.” As for what happens after that, we merely have to wait and see,” said she. 

The high court order followed Wednesday’s legal efforts to delay the execution. 

In Travis County, Judge Jessica Mangrum issued a temporary injunction during the hours before the execution to state lawmakers who subpoenaed Roberson to testify at a hearing next week in the case — an attempt to prevent Thursday’s execution. 

The attorney general’s office though did not wait to challenge the order in the state’s highest criminal court, and they prevailed. That then made the lawmakers to appeal to the Texas Supreme Court to halt the execution.