Rashtra NewsRashtra News
  • National
  • Business
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Finance
  • Insurance
  • Jobs
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Rashtra NewsRashtra News
Font ResizerAa
  • National
  • Rashtra News Hindi
Search
  • National
  • Business
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Finance
  • Insurance
  • Jobs
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology
Follow US
Rashtra News > Latest News > India > mentally ill is executed by shameless US:Amnesty
India

mentally ill is executed by shameless US:Amnesty

Field Reporters
Last updated: November 28, 2014 6:37 pm
Field Reporters
Share
5 Min Read
mentally ill is executed by shameless US:Amnesty
SHARE

The State of Texas should immediately halt its unconstitutional and shameful plans to execute a man with severe mental illness, said Amnesty International with the scheduled execution now less than a week away.

Scott Panetti, a 56-year-old man whose mental illness predated and contributed to the 1992 double murder for which he was sent to death row, is scheduled to be executed in Texas soon after 6pm local time on 3 December.  His mental illness infected his trial and persists to this day. He has spent nearly 20 years on death row.

“In the 21st century, a clear majority of countries have stopped executing anyone, let alone individuals with profound mental illness. While we believe that the death penalty is never just, even those who support judicial killing should see the manifest injustice evident here,” said Rob Freer, USA Researcher at Amnesty International.

“It is never too late until the lethal injection is administered. The parole board can vote for commutation. The governor can stop the execution, even without a recommendation to do so from the board. To choose to kill Scott Panetti would put down another shameful marker in the ugly history of the death penalty in the USA”.

Scott Panetti had already been hospitalized more than a dozen times with schizophrenia and other mental illness when, soon after the last of these hospitalizations in 1992, he shot and killed his parents-in-law.

As five US Supreme Court Justices noted in 2007, there is “much in the record to support the conclusion that [Panetti] suffers from severe delusions”, and the federal judge to whom they remanded the case found that “Panetti is seriously mentally ill”, and “was under the influence of this severe mental illness” at the time of his crime and when he represented himself at trial.

Scott Panetti insisted on acting as his own lawyer at his 1995 trial. During the proceedings he dressed as a cowboy and gave a rambling defence. Witnesses have variously described the trial as a “farce”, a “joke”, a “circus”, and a “mockery”.

According to his current lawyers, Scott Panetti’s mental illness persists, as indicated in prison records. The lawyers have said that the condemned man reports “hearing voices”, and claims the prison authorities have planted a “listening device” in his tooth and want him executed to shut him up “about the corruption” and to stop him from “preaching the Gospel.”

“Scott Panetti’s mental disability and the related questions of ‘competency’ have riddled this case from the outset. It is highly questionable whether he was competent to stand trial, represent himself, or whether he has a genuine understanding of the reason for and reality of his punishment. But whether or not Texas continues to succeed in defending this death sentence in the courts, the parole board and governor should call a halt to this shameful planned killing in the interests of decency, compassion and human rights,” said Rob Freer.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception. As of today, 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. The USA was one of the only nine countries in the world that carried out executions each year between 2009 and 2013. Texas accounts for nearly 40 per cent of all executions in the USA since judicial killing resumed there in 1977 under revised capital laws.

Background

In a 5-4 ruling on 25 November, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) refused to issue a stay of execution, deciding it lacked jurisdiction over the appeal. Four of the nine judges dissented, arguing that what was “at stake in this case” meant that the court should review the appeal. Its failure to do so, they wrote, could result in “the irreversible and constitutionally impermissible execution of a mentally incompetent person”.

Related

TAGGED: Mentally ill USA, shame on USA
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Surprise0
Joy0
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Might Also Like

Nida Rides India to Global Glory, 22-year to Become First Indian Lady to Compete at FEI Endurance World Championship for Seniors, Monpazier, France
India

Nida Rides India to Global Glory, 22-year to Become First Indian Lady to Compete at FEI Endurance World Championship for Seniors, Monpazier, France

10 months ago
HiLITE Realty’s UAE Leap: The New Office in Burj Khalifa Transcends Heights and Geographies
India

HiLITE Realty’s UAE Leap: The New Office in Burj Khalifa Transcends Heights and Geographies

11 months ago
G.D. Foods Marks its Presence in Dubai as Official Condiment Partner of India-GCC Buyer Seller Meet
India

G.D. Foods Marks its Presence in Dubai as Official Condiment Partner of India-GCC Buyer Seller Meet

11 months ago
Ananda Yogathon: Get a 360-degree, Practical View of Yoga on 21st June
India

Ananda Yogathon: Get a 360-degree, Practical View of Yoga on 21st June

1 year ago

About RashtraNews.com

We're your comprehensive news source, covering a wide range of topics to empower you in all aspects of life. From navigating the world of finance (market trends, personal tips, loans, mortgages, credit) and legal matters (attorneys, lawyers), to staying ahead of the curve in technology (advancements, automobiles, business news) and education (careers, job opportunities, classes), RashtraNews.com keeps you informed.

Latest Updates

  • A Comprehensive Guide to Transportation, Logistics, and Relocation Services Across Cities
  • Global Markets in Turmoil Amid Rising Inflation and Escalating Trade Tensions
  • California Ballot Initiative Seeks to Prevent Unjust Health Insurance Denials
  • Millions of Travelers Risk Losing Insurance Coverage Over Simple Mistakes
  • Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Sweep Across USA: Tornado Threat Looms Over Oklahoma
  • ChatGPT Ghibli Art Generator: Create Studio Ghibli-Style Art with AI [2025]
  • Nida Rides India to Global Glory, 22-year to Become First Indian Lady to Compete at FEI Endurance World Championship for Seniors, Monpazier, France

Helpful Link

  • Automobile77
  • Business4,343
  • Crime129
  • Education4,542
  • Entertainment58
  • Finance5
  • India9,623
  • Insurance3
  • Legal News5
  • Lifestyle21
  • Media News79
  • Medical Education1
  • Politics4,340
  • Press Release5,319
  • Software100
  • Sports3,095
  • Stock Market2
  • Technology3,180
  • Top Stories7
  • World2,907

Contact Us

To send your suggestions to "Rashtra News", email: [email protected]

To send articles, news, or your opinions: [email protected]
For Business and other enquiries: [email protected]

If you‘ find any violation of the editorial code of conduct or have any other complaint about the content or video content published on "Rashtra News"’, you can send your complaint to our Grievance Officer by clicking on the Grievance Redressal link.

Follow US
©2011-2024 rashtranews.com
  • About Rashtra News
  • Ownership & funding
  • Corrections Policy
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Subscribe Now
  • Become a Author
  • Partnership With Us
Go to mobile version
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?