Breaking News: Supreme Court Blocks TX Execution

by Matt Kelley · 2010-03-24 16:28:00 UTC
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The U.S. Supreme Court swooped in at the last minute this evening to block Texas from executing Hank Skinner, who was scheduled to be put to death tonight.

This is big news, and thousands of advocates here on Change.org helped make it happen.

The court says it hasn't decided yet whether to review the case, but it's granted a temporary reprieve so the justices can have more time to decide. If the court decides not to review Skinner's appeal, Texas would be free to set a new execution date. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom Skinner and over 8,000 Change.org members had asked for a stay, has not yet spoken publicly about the case today.

Skinner's wife and attorneys will appear tonight on CNN's Larry King Live to discuss the case. Tune in at 9 p.m. EDT.

Skinner has proclaimed his innocence since the day he was arrested for a triple murder in 1993, and he has been seeking DNA tests for over a decade. Tests on crime scene evidence could prove his innocence or guilt, but Texas officials let him come within minutes of his execution without conducting the tests. We can only hope that they won't make that mistake again.

News of Skinner's reprieve came literally as relatives of the victim were entering the prison to witness his execution. Skinner was in a small holding cell adjacent to the death chamber when his attorney gave him the news over the phone.

"I had made up my mind I was going to die," he said, according to the Associated Press. "I'm eager to get the DNA testing so I can prove my innocence and get the hell out of here.

"I'm greatly relieved. I feel like I really won today."

The Change.org community played a direct role in raising public awareness about Skinner's case. Thousands of members sent letters to Texas Gov. Rick Perry calling for a stay -- you posted about the case on Facebook and Twitter, you talked about it with friends. The public outrage at Texas' plan to execute Skinner without conducting DNA tests was not lost on the Supreme Court, and it will continue to play a critical role in the case as we move forward.

Thanks to everyone who took action to help save Hank Skinner's life. We'll post updates on the case in the days ahead.


Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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