Texas Killed A Mexican Before He Could Get Help From His Home Country - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/mexican-man-hours-away-from-texas-execution-awaits-court-ruling-on-white-house-backed-appeal/2011/07/07/gIQAhfsl1H_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage[/URL] [QUOTE]HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas executed a Mexican citizen Thursday for the rape-slaying of a teenager after he and the White House pleaded in vain for a Supreme Court stay, saying he was denied help from his home country that could have helped him avoid the death penalty. In his last minutes, Humberto Leal repeatedly said he was sorry and accepted responsibility. “I have hurt a lot of people. ... I take full blame for everything. I am sorry for what I did,” he said in the death chamber. “One more thing,” he said as the drugs began taking effect. Then he shouted twice, “Viva Mexico!” “Ready warden,” he said. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He grunted, snored several times and appeared to go to sleep, then stopped all breathing movement. The 38-year-old mechanic was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m., 10 minutes after the lethal drugs began flowing into his arms. After his execution, relatives of Leal who had gathered in Guadalupe, Mexico, burned a T-shirt with an image of the American flag in protest. Leal’s uncle Alberto Rodriguez criticized the U.S. justice system and the Mexican government and said, “There is a God who makes us all pay.” Leal was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of 16-year-old Adria Sauceda, whose brutalized nude body was found hours after he left a San Antonio street party with her. She was bludgeoned with a piece of 30- to 40-pound chunk of asphalt. Leal was just a toddler when he and his family moved to the U.S. from Monterrey, Mexico, but his citizenship became a key element of his attorneys’ efforts to win a stay. They said police never told him following his arrest that he could seek legal assistance from the Mexican government under an international treaty. [b]Mexico, the Obama administration and others had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay Leal’s execution so Congress could consider a law that would require court reviews in cases where condemned foreign nationals did not receive help from their consulates. They said the case could affect not only foreigners in the U.S. but Americans detained in other countries. The court rejected the request 5-4. Its five more conservative justices doubted that executing Leal would cause grave international consequences, and doubted “that it is ever appropriate to stay a lower court judgment in light of unenacted legislation.”[/b] “Our task is to rule on what the law is, not what it might eventually be,” the majority said. The court’s four liberal-leaning justices said they would have granted the stay. Leal’s attorney Sandra L. Babcock said that with consular help her client could have shown that he was not guilty. But she added, “This case was not just about one Mexican national on death row in Texas. The execution of Mr. Leal violates the United States’ treaty commitments, threatens the nation’s foreign policy interests, and undermines the safety of all Americans abroad.” Prosecutors, however, said Congress was unlikely to pass the legislation sought and that Leal’s appeals were simply an attempt to evade justice for a gruesome murder.[/QUOTE] Fuck you too, supposedly non-biased Supreme court. Not saying that he wasn't a monster and that he didn't deserve to die.

That's justice for you Good show america

Honestly, I know the country should've helped, but the guy seems a little whack.

[quote]“Our task is to rule on what the law is, not what it might eventually be,” the majority said.[/quote] I hurr'd.

Executing a citizen of another country, even the death penalty itself is a bit hardcore. I know he did a horrible crime, but it's the damn 21st century. Give him a long sentence but don't go to the ancient custom of an eye for an eye, as this seems the case. Oh look, a dumb rating. Typical. Oh, another too. I thought Facepunch was this collective that believed in progressive society.

if i was Mexico i wouldn't have want to help him. besides mexico would have done worse to him probably.

Death penalty should be abolished imho. Also to content all you violent justice freaks, he would have probably been punished by other inmates for what he did anyways if he went into the slammer.

[QUOTE=J!NX;30987096]Honestly, I know the country should've helped, but the guy seems a little whack.[/QUOTE] Yeah, but the problem isn't whether the guy deserved it or not, but the implications this will have for foreign nationals imprisoned in the US and Americans imprisoned in other countries.

[QUOTE=Edthefirst;30987475]Yeah, but the problem isn't whether the guy deserved it or not, but the implications this will have for foreign nationals imprisoned in the US and Americans imprisoned in other countries.[/QUOTE] Pretty much. We don't want countries imprisoning out citizens, and yet, we do the same. A literal "Holy shit wow".

Supreme Court has made a lot of bad decisions lately.

He raped and murdered a 16 year old girl. He came to the United States illegally to commit one of the most heinous crimes possible, and he paid for it. I'm not saying it's right, but if he was returned to Mexico, he'd have walked a free man. The Texan government chose to serve its concept of justice before anyone had a chance to let him go. To clarify- the Texan government saw that the death penalty was the only way to get justice of any sort in. If he was just imprisoned, he'd have eventually been extradited to Mexico to face a Mexican court for a crime committed in the US (so nothing would have been done because that's not how the law works). Obama wanted to send him back to Mexico as a political move.

[QUOTE=teh pirate;30988045]He raped and murdered a 16 year old girl. He came to the United States illegally to commit one of the most heinous crimes possible, and he paid for it. I'm not saying it's right, but if he was returned to Mexico, he'd have walked a free man. The Texan government chose to serve its concept of justice before anyone had a chance to let him go.[/QUOTE] Actually, your right... and if an American was in Mexico and committed something reasonable and tiny, he'd be treated like total crap.

[QUOTE=teh pirate;30988045]He raped and murdered a 16 year old girl. He came to the United States illegally to commit one of the most heinous crimes possible, and he paid for it. I'm not saying it's right, but if he was returned to Mexico, he'd have walked a free man. The Texan government chose to serve its concept of justice before anyone had a chance to let him go. To clarify- the Texan government saw that the death penalty was the only way to get justice of any sort in. If he was just imprisoned, he'd have eventually been extradited to Mexico to face a Mexican court for a crime committed in the US (so nothing would have been done because that's not how the law works). Obama wanted to send him back to Mexico as a political move.[/QUOTE] We all agree that what he did was fucking wrong, but you have to remember, this was not an american citizen, this is a major diplomacy issue, and justice is in the eye of the beholder.

[QUOTE=Crimor;30988216]We all agree that what he did was fucking wrong, but you have to remember, this was not an american citizen, this is a major diplomacy issue, and justice is in the eye of the beholder.[/QUOTE] You illegally go to a country, you break its laws, you face its courts. The American court sentenced him to death because if he was sentenced to life in prison or whatever eventually the federal government would manage to get him back to Mexico where he'd walk free because you can't be put on trial in Mexico for a crime you committed in another country. Prosecutors, obviously, did not want this at all, so he was sentenced to death. The dumb rating was not necessary.

things like this need to be done to show the rest of the world who's boss [editline]8th July 2011[/editline] (it's texas)

The implications have been in place for a long time now already, China executed a British national not that long ago over drug smuggling. And I think an American was caned in some country I can't remember just for doing graffiti so yeah. Just because you are a foreign national doesn't mean you can't go to another country break their laws and expect to get away with it.

[quote]The court rejected the request 5-4. Its five more conservative justices doubted that executing Leal would cause grave international consequences, [b]and doubted “that it is ever appropriate to stay a lower court judgment in light of unenacted legislation.”[/b][/quote] They're pretty much right, actually. To overturn it would be the biased thing to do in this case. [QUOTE=POLOPOZOZO;30987925]Supreme Court has made a lot of bad decisions lately.[/QUOTE] Ugh. You realize you can say things like that at pretty much any point in Supreme Court history? They make decisions you agree with, they make decisions you disagree with, you only complain when it's the latter.

[QUOTE=Antdawg;30987248]Executing a citizen of another country, even the death penalty itself is a bit hardcore. I know he did a horrible crime, but it's the damn 21st century. Give him a long sentence but don't go to the ancient custom of an eye for an eye, as this seems the case. Oh look, a dumb rating. Typical. Oh, another too. I thought Facepunch was this collective that believed in progressive society.[/QUOTE] I rated you dumb because you care about a 15x15 picture, enjoy.

[QUOTE=Falchion;30987472]Death penalty should be abolished imho. [/QUOTE]Yes, people who go on killing rampages and rape sprees should be kept alive and fed by our work hard money turned into taxes. :v:

[QUOTE=Antdawg;30987248]Executing a citizen of another country, even the death penalty itself is a bit hardcore. I know he did a horrible crime, but it's the damn 21st century. Give him a long sentence but don't go to the ancient custom of an eye for an eye, as this seems the case. Oh look, a dumb rating. Typical. Oh, another too. I thought Facepunch was this collective that believed in progressive society.[/QUOTE] No, an eye for an eye would be seducing him, raping him, and then beating him to death with a 30-pound chunk of asphalt.

[QUOTE=lil_n00blett;30988350] Ugh. You realize you can say things like that at pretty much any point in Supreme Court history? They make decisions you agree with, they make decisions you disagree with, you only complain when it's the latter.[/QUOTE]No not really there are plenty of periods in which the Supreme Court was a positive force in each century, handing down 5-4 decisions on things like Citizens United and souring diplomatic relations like this is not the best time for them.

[QUOTE=locojaws;30988524]Yes, people who go on killing rampages and rape sprees should be kept alive and fed by our work hard money turned into taxes. :v:[/QUOTE] Your tax money goes to much more heinous things, so what the fuck do you care? Are you really so upset that a tiny fraction if it will go to keeping a fucking human being alive? I'm fucking sick of people who claim to be for small government but are perfectly okay with the government asserting that they own your life and can end it whenever they please. Bunch of hypocritical children.

[QUOTE=Sanius;30989193]Your tax money goes to much more heinous things, so what the fuck do you care? Are you really so upset that a tiny fraction if it will go to keeping a fucking human being alive? I'm fucking sick of people who claim to be for small government but are perfectly okay with the government asserting that they own your life and can end it whenever they please. Bunch of hypocritical children.[/QUOTE] thanks for commentary honey i see you rated me dumb and since you opted not to explain yourself in a post i'm going to have to draw some conclusions the conclusion i have drawn is that you either didn't read my post or think it'd be great if all rapist/murderers walked around free without worry of getting into any trouble whatsoever! wow you're right how could i have been so ignorant............. [editline]8th July 2011[/editline] dear sanius: rating system does not exist so you can rate everyone you disagree with dumb and expect them to have any change of opinion put up a fucking debate if you want to get something done

The crime he commited was awful, he deserved to die. If you were in that girls family, would you want your tax dollars to go to feeding and housing him?

[QUOTE='[sluggo];30989337']The crime he commited was awful, he deserved to die. If you were in that girls family, would you want your tax dollars to go to feeding and housing him?[/QUOTE] He didn't deserve to die, necessarily, but he wouldn't and couldn't have had any prison time because as I'm sick of saying over and over again he'd be moved back to Mexico where nothing would be done because Mexico doesn't prosecute for crimes committed in other countries so texas executed him because they wanted to get this guy off the streets one way or another

[QUOTE='[sluggo];30989337']The crime he commited was awful, he deserved to die. If you were in that girls family, would you want your tax dollars to go to feeding and housing him?[/QUOTE] You do realize that executions cost a lot of money, and that dying is much more desirable than spending the rest of your life in the American prison system?

If this thread turns into a death penalty debate I'm going to fucking explode.

[QUOTE=POLOPOZOZO;30989918]If this thread turns into a death penalty debate I'm going to fucking explode.[/QUOTE] It should turn into a debate about extradition but it won't because facepunch only cares about 5 things and doesn't know how to talk about anything else

This is stupid. Why is this newsworthy? Texas executed a murdering rapist. Why should he be given another opportunity to walk free so he can murder again?

The Mexican government didn't help him because he [B]renounced his Mexican heritage.[/B] This article is making America seem like the bad guy.