“TEXAS DEATH ROW PRISONER PATRICK MURPHY WINS A STAY OF EXECUTION!”
Texas death row prisoner Patrick Murphy was scheduled to be executed on November 13th 2019. I’ve known Murphy since he arrived on Texas death row and we’ve always been good friends. Murphy has always been an easy going likable guy which is at odds with what the system wants to portray him : a member of the infamous “Texas 7”. Because of his past Murphy has often had to deal with the extra “attention” given to him by the prison administration. Murphy who converted to Buddhism years ago won a stay of execution some months ago because the Texas prison system would not allow a Buddhist monk to be present in the execution chamber when they murder him. Murphy was given a new execution date several months ago and has been on Texas death row’s “death watch” since then, living in a solitary confinement cell under constant surveillance as there is a CCTV camera in each of the 14 cells that are on death watch. A week before his scheduled execution the Federal District Court stayed Murphy’s execution on the same issue that the state prison system was violating his religious right to have a Buddhist monk with him when he is executed. This “fresh” stay of execution was appealed by in the attorney general, the agency who represents the government in Federal Court, to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals asking this higher court to reverse the stay. This appeal by the attorney general put everything into question because the chances they win in court at at least 50%, so Murphy won a stay of execution but had to deal with the possibility that it could be ripped away at any moment. This was a very difficult and stressful moment in his life. Meanwhile, Murphy continued to have to live his death row experience. Meaning that when he was 3 days away from execution he’s given all day visit from 8am to 5pm, for 2 full days, then the day of his execution he is given a half day visit before he is transported to Huntsville for execution. Because of his temporary stay, the administration on Texas death row refused to give him his final visits. This requires his attorneys to get involved and then he was allowed to visits potentially saying goodbye to everyone. This also meant that he was moved off death watch, away from that infernal CCTV camera in his cell. Then moved back to death watch, then off again. Keep in mind the anxiety and fear a human being would feel during this time going through this kind of experience. We’re talking about life and death and the unknown involved is extremely traumatic. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen – will you live, will you die? – the entire situation in a word is horrific. Not to mention his infamy — he’s given extra attention because of that. On November 13th 2019, the day he was scheduled to be executed, Patrick Murphy’s stay of execution was upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals! It went down to the wire but my friend was spared his life, and at last could breathe easily, knowing that for sure the stay of execution would stay in place. I’m very happy and grateful my friend Patrick won a stay and it held. I think this stay of execution will be in place for a very long time and in the meantime his case could change the way men who are to be murdered in the name of [in]justice will have their respective spiritual advisers with them at the end.
PEACE LOVE HOPE!
Charles D. Flores No:999299