Washington - It is because of its uncompromising attitude of opponents of the death penalty only named "Sharon Killer" - and Judge Sharon Keller, on 25th September 2007 to its reputation once again, all honor.
The U.S. Supreme Court had adopted an appeal against the constitutionality of lethal injection, which was the desire to postpone an execution becomes possible.
But when the attorneys for death row Michael Richard after a computer failure to clock 16.50 in the court invoked so that it would remain open 20 minutes longer than usual, replied the clerk at the direction of the judge: "We close at 17.00 clock."
An urgent application to the U.S. Supreme Court to postpone the execution failed, then, because the opinion lacked the competent judge in the field.
Richard was executed that same evening with the lethal injection - the 48-year-old was the last death row inmate before a seven-month moratorium, whose sentence was executed.
Keller is now running against disciplinary action in Texas: You must request the postponement of a death-hearted candidates have prevented. The judge must therefore before the court in San Antonio because of a responsible official misconduct.
At the hearing in San Antonio now, both sides presented their versions of what happened dar. Keller's lawyer asserted, according to local media, the judge had pointed only to the closing hours of the offices, so I do not mean that afterwards no request for postponement could be made more .
By contrast Richards attorneys reiterated their view, Keller refused to extend the opening times, although this was the case of the death penalty is common practice.
