White House seeks delay of Mexican Humberto Leal's execution

Humberto Leal

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The planned execution Thursday of a Mexican national has prompted a flurry of appeals on his behalf, including a rare plea from the White House, because of what it could mean for other foreigners arrested in the U.S. and for Americans detained in other countries.

Humberto Leal, 38, is awaiting a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether to block his lethal injection in Huntsville. He was sentenced to die for the 1994 rape and murder of 16-year-old Adria Sauceda of San Antonio.

The appeal contends that authorities never told Leal after his arrest that he could seek legal assistance from the Mexican government under an international treaty, and that such assistance would have aided his defense. Leal moved to the U.S. as a toddler.

Leal's attorneys have support from the White House, the Mexican government and other diplomats who believe the execution should be delayed so his case can be thoroughly reviewed.

"There can be little doubt that if the government of Mexico had been allowed access to Mr. Leal in a timely manner, he would not now be facing execution for a capital murder he did not commit," Leal's attorneys told the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in a clemency request rejected Tuesday. "Unfortunately, Mexico's assistance came too late to affect the result of Mr. Leal's capital murder prosecution."

President Barack Obama's administration took the unusual step of intervening in a state murder case when it asked the Supreme Court last week to delay Leal's execution for up to six months. The U.S. solicitor general told the court that Congress needed time to consider legislation that would allow federal courts to review cases of condemned foreign nationals to determine if the lack of consular help made a significant difference in the outcome of their cases.

Source: CBSNews, June 7, 2011

El New York Times se pronuncia por aplazar ejecución de mexicano

El Consejo de perdones de Texas rechazó la petición del mexicano para posponer la ejecución durante 180 días

NUEVA YORK, ESTADOS UNIDOS (07/JUL/2011).- La Suprema Corte de Estados Unidos debe aplazar la ejecución del mexicano Humberto Leal García, programada para hoy a fin de que el Congreso pueda aprobar la ley que permitiría la revisión de su caso, opinó The New York Times (NYT).

El aplazamiento le daría a Leal el derecho para tener otra audiencia en torno a la violación de sus derechos humanos durante el proceso legal, tal como lo establece la Convención de Viena sobre Relaciones Consulares, indicó el diario en un editorial publicado este jueves.

'Esto garantizaría que los estados cumplan con el tratado, que requiere que a los ciudadanos extranjeros se les informe sobre su derecho de notificar a su embajada sobre su arresto', asentó el periódico.

La víspera, el Consejo de perdones de Texas rechazó la petición de Leal para posponer la ejecución durante 180 días, luego de la decisión en el mismo sentido de la Corte de apelaciones criminales del estado, con el argumento de que el gobernador de Texas, Rick Perry, podría decretar un aplazamiento de 30 días.

'La Suprema Corte es la última esperanza de Leal', expresó el diario, al señalar que uno de los jueces de este órgano ha expresado que sería 'injusto no permitirle a un ciudadanos extranjero la revisión de su caso' una vez que el Congreso abordara el asunto. El aplazamiento tiene el apoyo del procurador general de Estados Unidos.

'El Congreso está en el proceso de arreglar el vacío que hay en las leyes federales. Sería un fracaso de la justicia si la Suprema Corte permite la ejecución de Leal antes de que el Congreso complete ese remedio', enfatizó The New York Times.

Source: informador.com.mx, July 7, 2011

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Death Penalty News: Texas death-row inmate Humberto Leal gets more ...

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Humberto Leal Garcia Jr., 38, was convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl and then bludgeoning her to death with a 35-pound piece of asphalt in 1994. He is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on July 7. ...

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Death Penalty News: Obama and U.N. seek delay in execution of ...

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The execution of Humberto Leal Garcia, who was sentenced to death for the 1994 crimes, "would place the United States in irreparable breach of its international-law obligation to afford (Leal) review and reconsideration...

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