PA Gov. Postpones Executions:  Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's authority to postpone executions in the state was upheld Monday by the state's high court.  Marc Levy of the Morning Call reports that Wolf, who says the death penalty system is "riddled with flaws, making it error prone," has issued temporary reprieves in the cases of five convicted killers.  Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams challenged the governor in court, arguing that reprieves had never been meant or used to indefinitely postpone an execution, but it was rejected in a unanimous decision by the high court, which ruled that the governor's "constitutional power to issue reprieves never required a specific end date...."  Wolf announced that the moratorium will remain in effect until he receives a report from a legislative commission, expected in 2016.  The Philadelphia prosecutor's office, while respectful of the court's decision, expressed disappointment in a statement extending "condolences to the victims of these horrendous crimes, who will not soon see the justice that was imposed by the jury and upheld by the courts."  The last year an inmate was executed in the state was 1999.

Somali Citizen Smuggling People across Border:  A citizen of Somalia, operating within the United States, was arrested for smuggling illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.  Sylvia Longmire of Breitbart reports that Omar Haji Mohamed was stopped at a border checkpoint near a Native American reservation, the Tohono O'odham Nation, which is a haven for human smugglers and drug traffickers because accessibility in the region for U.S. Border Patrol agents is limited due to conflicts between the agency and tribal leadership.  The Department of Homeland Security granted Somali nationals temporary protective status (TPS) in 1991, which provides Somali citizens who have resided in the U.S. continuously since 2012 relief from deportation through 2017.  As more of these reports come to light, the challenges with our immigration system become all the more clear:  refugees and other immigrants shielded from deportation, unwillingness to cooperate with federal authorities and a frighteningly porous border.

Arguments to Delay MO Execution Lacking:  A Missouri state attorney said in a court filing Monday that the argument to delay the execution of a convicted triple murderer fails to satisfy the requirement to show his chosen alternative execution method to the state's lethal injection protocol is feasible and readily available.  Alan Burdziak of the Columbia Daily Tribune reports that 55-year-old Ernest Lee Johnson, was initially scheduled to be put to death on Nov. 3.  He appealed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals claiming that occasional seizures brought on by a 2008 brain surgery will be triggered by the lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, and cause significant pain.  To comply with Glossip Johnson asked for the alternative of the gas chamber.  Missouri Assistant Attorney General Gregory Goodwin said in his filing that Johnson, who was required by precedent to offer an alternative method of execution that could be readily implemented, did not provide evidence that his chosen alternative, death by lethal gas, would reduce his risk of severe pain.  Additionally, Goodwin argued that Johnson waited to file his claim long after the five-year statute of limitations expired, holding "his claim in reserve, hoping to avoid his execution date."  Johnson has until Jan. 4 to respond to Goodwin.

Baltimore Homicides Still Breaking Records:  As homicides continue to mount in Baltimore, the second-highest total on record has been reached - 336.  Kevin Rector and Sean Welsh of the Baltimore Sun report that the soaring number of murders has put the city's per-capita homicide rate at 54 per 100,000 residents, the highest in Baltimore history.  Only one other year, 1993, saw more homicides deaths, 353, but also had 100,000 more residents.  The year took a hellish turn in April following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, which sparked violent rioting and enduring unrest.  Six Baltimore police officers were arrested and charged with crimes ranging from misconduct to murder in connection with Gray's death, and the first trial, in the case of Officer William Porter, resulted in a mistrial last week.  His new trial date is set for June 13.