Texana
Overreaching
Here's the story:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5922356.html
Basic recap: In 1996, two teenage girls, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, were coming home around 11 p.m. and cut through a park to get home sooner for curfew. They ran into a drunken gang initiation. Both girls were raped, sodomized, strangled, and then stomped to death. Their bodies were found four days later (in summer) when a brother of one of the gang members ratted the others out.
One participant, Derick O'Brien, has already been executed for his part. Another had his crime commuted to a life sentence when the Supreme Court ruled that he committed the crime as a juvenile and could not be executed.
The third (the others have life sentences) is set for execution Tuesday night. Jose Medellin, the leader, has been in the United States since he was 3 years old. He says he told LE that he was a Mexican national (here illegally, by the way) and they did not tell him he could access the Mexican consulate. The prosecutors deny that Medellin said this at all.
Medellin waived his Miranda rights and made a full confession when arrested. He has never expressed remorse for his acts, calling them an "adolescent choice." He speaks of himself as a "good guy" on a Canadian anti-death penalty website. He bragged that both girls were virgins when raped, after the crime.
One anti-death penalty opponent stated that after meeting with Medellin, she recanted her position based on his attitude.
His parents have been forbidden to visit him since 2001 when they were caught planning an escape plan for him.
The Mexican government has pushed for Medellin to have a retrial and hearing based on the issue of his being denied consulate help. The trial was extremely well-publicized and as a side note, the Mexican consulate was well aware of the crime and trial, and could easily have contaced Medellin at the time to offer assistance if he was indeed a national. They did not, at the time.
The World Court at the Hague ruled that Texas does not have the right to execute Medellin. President Bush asked that there be a new hearing. The Supreme Court ruled that President Bush/Executive branch of the government lacked the authority to ask that Texas follow the treaties involved, and so the execution was legal. (Congress only has the ability to enforce treaties.)
Personally? My oldest was 4 when the crime happened. I remember the searches and the agony when they were found. Now she is the same age as the victimes, and I cannot imagine such agony happening to any teenage girl. My heart has never stopped breaking for these girls. This is the first case where I truly have considered driving to Huntsville in support of the families. Unfortunately, we're getting Tropical Storm Edouard tomorrow.
Bottom line, Medellin is not sorry, has remorse only for himself, and deserves an execution more than many another person. At least the other participant already executed repeatedly said he was sorry. Medellin never has.
Mods, maybe this should be in Crimes in the News. Sorry!!!!
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5922356.html
Basic recap: In 1996, two teenage girls, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, were coming home around 11 p.m. and cut through a park to get home sooner for curfew. They ran into a drunken gang initiation. Both girls were raped, sodomized, strangled, and then stomped to death. Their bodies were found four days later (in summer) when a brother of one of the gang members ratted the others out.
One participant, Derick O'Brien, has already been executed for his part. Another had his crime commuted to a life sentence when the Supreme Court ruled that he committed the crime as a juvenile and could not be executed.
The third (the others have life sentences) is set for execution Tuesday night. Jose Medellin, the leader, has been in the United States since he was 3 years old. He says he told LE that he was a Mexican national (here illegally, by the way) and they did not tell him he could access the Mexican consulate. The prosecutors deny that Medellin said this at all.
Medellin waived his Miranda rights and made a full confession when arrested. He has never expressed remorse for his acts, calling them an "adolescent choice." He speaks of himself as a "good guy" on a Canadian anti-death penalty website. He bragged that both girls were virgins when raped, after the crime.
One anti-death penalty opponent stated that after meeting with Medellin, she recanted her position based on his attitude.
His parents have been forbidden to visit him since 2001 when they were caught planning an escape plan for him.
The Mexican government has pushed for Medellin to have a retrial and hearing based on the issue of his being denied consulate help. The trial was extremely well-publicized and as a side note, the Mexican consulate was well aware of the crime and trial, and could easily have contaced Medellin at the time to offer assistance if he was indeed a national. They did not, at the time.
The World Court at the Hague ruled that Texas does not have the right to execute Medellin. President Bush asked that there be a new hearing. The Supreme Court ruled that President Bush/Executive branch of the government lacked the authority to ask that Texas follow the treaties involved, and so the execution was legal. (Congress only has the ability to enforce treaties.)
Personally? My oldest was 4 when the crime happened. I remember the searches and the agony when they were found. Now she is the same age as the victimes, and I cannot imagine such agony happening to any teenage girl. My heart has never stopped breaking for these girls. This is the first case where I truly have considered driving to Huntsville in support of the families. Unfortunately, we're getting Tropical Storm Edouard tomorrow.
Bottom line, Medellin is not sorry, has remorse only for himself, and deserves an execution more than many another person. At least the other participant already executed repeatedly said he was sorry. Medellin never has.
Mods, maybe this should be in Crimes in the News. Sorry!!!!
