U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Corpus Christi death row inmate's execution request
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Thursday in favor of Corpus Christi death row inmate John Henry Ramirez's request that his pastor be able to place his hands on him and pray aloud during his execution.
Ramirez, 37, was just a few feet away from the Texas death chamber in Huntsville in September 2021 when he learned from prison officials the Supreme Court had granted his 11th-hour request for a stay of execution.
In that request, Ramirez argued that a Texas policy prohibiting his pastor from placing his hands on him during his execution violated his First Amendment right to practice his religion without government interference.
"The Supreme Court clarified that the rule of law is as ubiquitous as God," Ramirez's attorney, Seth Kretzer, said in statement to the Caller-Times Thursday. "Both exist everywhere and always — high up in the hallowed halls of power and down low in the hell of the execution chamber.
"We look forward to prevailing in the forthcoming litigation about the issue of whether Mr. Ramirez’s pastor may safely touch him during execution just as prison-employed chaplains have done in every execution over the past 37 years."
Ramirez's pastor, Dana Moore, of the Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi called the Supreme Court's decision "a blessing."
"It stresses the importance of religious liberty and religious practice for everyone," Moore told the Caller-Times Thursday.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a statement that it respects the court's decision "and will be making appropriate modifications to our practices to align with today’s ruling."
Ramirez was sentenced to death by the state in 2008 for the fatal stabbing of Pablo Castro, a 45-year-old convenience store clerk, during a robbery in Corpus Christi.
Ramirez was a 20-year-old kitchen worker when he and two women confronted Castro outside a Times Market in Corpus Christi in search of money to buy drugs.
According to an earlier Caller-Times article, Ramirez beat and kicked Castro and stabbed him 29 times with a 6-inch serrated knife. The group left the scene with $1.25 in their pockets.
The two women, Christina Chavez and Angela Rodriguez, were arrested soon after the crime. Rodriguez was later sentenced to a 99-year prison term for murder and Chavez received a 25-year prison sentence for aggravated robbery.
Ramirez, however, wasn't arrested until 2008 at the Texas-Mexico border.
During Ramirez's sentencing in 2009, one of Castro's sons said "he's getting what he deserves."
"He had no remorse," Aaron Castro said.
It is not yet clear when a new execution date will be set.
Kailey E. Hunt covers breaking news and public safety in South Texas. Help support more local coverage with a subscription at caller.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: SCOTUS rules in favor of Texas death row inmate's execution request
