Who voted to deny a death row inmate, Domineque Ray the opportunity to have his spiritual advisor, an imam by his side when he was killed by the state of Alabama. He discovered only in late Janurary that he was not allowed to have any one but a Christian pastor with him. His lawyer filed on his behalf to no avail.
The majority offered little reasoning but said that the inmate, Domineque Ray, had waited too long to object. Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the dissenters, said the majority was “profoundly wrong.”
Under Alabama’s policy, she wrote, “a Christian prisoner may have a minister of his own faith accompany him into the execution chamber to say his last rites.”
“But if an inmate practices a different religion — whether Islam, Judaism or any other — he may not die with a minister of his own faith by his side,” Justice Kagan wrote.
Seems to me that this is a violation of the establishment clause…. but what do I know.
He was killed last night at 10:12 p.m. His imam was in another room.
Shame
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