WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday blocked the Trump administration from restarting federal executions next week after a 16-year break. The federal appeals court in Washington had earlier denied the administration’s emergency plea to put Chutkan’s ruling on hold and allow the executions to proceed. Federal executions are likely to remain on hold at least for several months, while the appeals court in Washington undertakes a full review of Chutkan’s ruling. The Supreme Court justices directed the appeals court to act “with appropriate dispatch.”Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a short separate opinion that he believes the government ultimately will win the case and would have set a 60-day deadline for appeals court action. A fifth inmate, Lezmond Mitchell, has had his execution blocked by the federal appeals court in San Francisco over questions of bias against Native Americans.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 07, 2019 00:22 UTC