Texas inmate who sought pastor’s touch gets execution date

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas death row inmate who won a reprieve when his request for his pastor to pray out loud and touch him as he received his lethal injection sparked legal debate has a new execution date. A South Texas judge on Tuesday signed an order setting John Henry Ramirez’s execution for Oct. 5. Ramirez had been set for execution on Sept. 8, 2021, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked his execution and agreed to take up his case to address the role of spiritual advisers in the death chamber. The Supreme Court ruled last month that states must accommodate the wishes of death row inmates who want to have their faith leaders pray aloud and touch them during executions. Ramirez’s lawyer says he doesn’t believe the execution can proceed until a civil rights petition in the case is resolved.