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Biden Has 65 Days Left in Office. Here’s What He Can Do on Criminal Justice.

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Judicial appointments and the death penalty are among areas where a lame-duck administration can still leave a mark. Donald Trump’s second presidential term will begin on Jan. 20, bringing with it promises to dramatically reshape many aspects of the criminal justice system. The U.S. Senate — with its authority over confirming judicial nominees — will also shift from Democratic to Republican control.
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Appeals court blocks Alabama execution of Muslim inmate

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Alabama's death chamber
A federal appeals court has stayed the execution of a Muslim inmate in Alabama who says the state is violating his religious rights by not allowing an imam at his lethal injection.

The 11th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals granted the stay Wednesday, a day before the scheduled lethal injection of Dominique Ray.

Members of a three-judge panel wrote that it appears the state's position violates freedom of religion protections.

Alabama lets inmates have a spiritual adviser witness the execution from an adjoining room.

RELATED | Opinion | Alabama executions: strictly a Christian affair

A Christian chaplain typically stays in the execution chamber.

The state agreed with Ray's request that no chaplain be present, but cited security reasons for why it would not allow an imam in the chamber.

Ray was convicted in the 1995 fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Tiffany Harville.

Source: The Associated Press, February 6, 2019


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Alabama, USA
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