SCOTUS Stays Texas Execution:  A Texas man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer eighteen years ago won a stay of execution last night from the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Associated Press reports that Patrick Murphy sought the stay because state corrections officials would not allow a Buddhist priest to be in the death chamber during his execution, which he claimed discriminated against his religion.  Hours before the execution was carried out, a divided Supreme Court held that by allowing Christian or Muslim religious advisors in the execution chamber, but not a Buddhist advisor, the state violated the murderer's constitutional rights.  Murphy was among 7 prison inmates that escaped in 2000 and went on a crime spree resulting in the murder of Officer Aubrey Hawkins.