The long overdue execution of Thomas Paul West in Arizona is scheduled for tomorrow. A panel of the Ninth Circuit today denied leave to file a successive petition. This is the same panel (Judge O'Scannlain, Wardlaw, and Callahan) who affirmed denial of West's first habeas petition a year ago.
West is also litigating Arizona's abrupt switch from thiopental to pentobarbital. His US Supreme Court petition for certiorari to review the state court's rejection of that claim is here. The docket on his stay application is here. AP has this story on the Arizona Supreme Court's rejection of that claim.
Update (7/19 @ 07:30 PDT): KVOA Tucson has this story on the reaction of the family of Donald Bortle, who was beaten, bound, robbed, and left to die by West 24 years ago.
Update 2 (7/19 @ 10:40): US Supreme Court orders denying a stay are here and here. No dissent is noted.
Update 3: Mission accomplished. Catherine Holland has this story at azfamily.com.
West is also litigating Arizona's abrupt switch from thiopental to pentobarbital. His US Supreme Court petition for certiorari to review the state court's rejection of that claim is here. The docket on his stay application is here. AP has this story on the Arizona Supreme Court's rejection of that claim.
Update (7/19 @ 07:30 PDT): KVOA Tucson has this story on the reaction of the family of Donald Bortle, who was beaten, bound, robbed, and left to die by West 24 years ago.
Update 2 (7/19 @ 10:40): US Supreme Court orders denying a stay are here and here. No dissent is noted.
Update 3: Mission accomplished. Catherine Holland has this story at azfamily.com.
SCOTUS denied a stay.
http://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/071911zr1.pdf