Texas is set to execute John Ramirez despite the objections of the Nueces County prosecutor, who opposes the death penalty

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John Ramirez, 38, convicted of murdering a Corpus Christi comfort retailer clerk in 2004, is scheduled to be executed Wednesday, regardless of the objection of the Nueces County district lawyer. And regardless that Ramirez’s execution has been delayed three earlier instances, his lawyer stated he has no additional authorized alternatives to cease the state’s newest try and put him to loss of life.

Ramirez’s pastor shall be alongside him within the loss of life chamber, fulfilling a request he made throughout his newest scheduled execution one 12 months in the past. Texas initially denied his request to have a pastor contact and pray over him as he was executed, spurring a spiritual liberties case heard by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom. The excessive court docket discovered Texas had violated Ramirez’s non secular liberties by denying his pastor’s presence at his execution.

Following the Supreme Courtroom determination, an worker in Nueces County District Lawyer Mark Gonzalez’s workplace filed for a brand new execution date, regardless of the prosecutor’s moral opposition to the loss of life penalty. A Texas state district decide denied Gonzalez’s request to cancel the execution date request, once more condemning Ramirez to die by capital punishment.

This week, the ultimate avenues to stop or delay Ramirez’s loss of life sentence have been exhausted, stated his lawyer, Seth Kretzer.

Ramirez’s authorized group, with the help of Gonzalez, filed motions to each the Texas Courtroom of Prison Appeals and the District Courtroom of Nueces County to halt the method. However as of Sunday, each makes an attempt had failed.

And on Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously denied Ramirez’ request for clemency, successfully eliminating all attainable choices to delay his execution.

Ramirez was convicted of capital homicide in 2008 and sentenced to die for the 2004 homicide and theft of Pablo Castro, a comfort retailer clerk in Corpus Christi. Courtroom information state Ramirez had stabbed Castro 29 instances throughout a theft spree to get drug cash with two girls. Castro had $1.25 on him.

Gonzalez’s workplace requested dates for Ramirez’s execution thrice since 2016, however he informed The Texas Tribune that he didn’t realize it was attainable to keep away from setting a date. When he realized his workplace didn’t need to set an execution date, he opted not to take action.

Gonzalez stated his moral opposition to capital punishment stems from how the loss of life penalty is imposed in Texas: Although 12% of the state’s residents are black, 45% of loss of life row inmates are black.

“All we will proceed to do is to not proceed looking for the loss of life penalty. That’s what I pledge to do, it’s the one factor in my energy,” Gonzalez informed the Tribune. Gonzalez was elected to a second four-year time period because the Nueces County district lawyer in 2020.

However in late April, one among his staff inadvertently requested a brand new date out of behavior, Gonzalez stated. State District Choose Bobby Galvan acquired the request and set Oct. 5 because the date of Ramirez’s execution.

Two days later, when Gonzalez realized of the error, he tried to cancel the warrant, however Galvan denied the request.

In June, Galvan stated Gonzalez is “the captain of the ship,” and what his workers does is on him. “I’ve actually thought of this lots,” Galvan stated. “I respect y’all’s opinion on this, however I’m not going to withdraw the warrant.”

Each the Texas lawyer normal’s workplace and Castro’s household requested Galvan to maneuver forward with the execution.

As a final effort, Gonzalez and Kretzer, Ramirez’s lawyer, tried to withdraw the warrant of execution within the District Courtroom of Nueces County final week. On Sunday, the native court docket denied the movement.

Someday later, seven members on the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted in opposition to commuting Ramirez’s loss of life sentence, exhausting his authorized choices to keep away from capital punishment.

“Whereas maybe D.A. Gonzalez ought to have extra rapidly knowledgeable his workers as to his place that capital punishment is unethical, a brand new day is dawning in America the place elected district attorneys can stand as much as execution errors extrapolated from a previous technology,” stated Kretzer.

Kretzer informed the Tribune that he didn’t anticipate any new appeals or different authorized filings forward of Ramirez’s execution scheduled for Wednesday.