The Texas Supreme Court made a significant ruling on Friday regarding the use of legislative subpoenas in relation to halting executions. This decision came after both Republican and Democratic lawmakers employed a unique tactic to delay Robert Roberson's scheduled lethal injection at the eleventh hour.
Roberson was set to face execution by lethal injection on October 17th when lawmakers resorted to issuing a subpoena in a final attempt to have him testify at the Texas Capitol just days before his planned death. This move sparked a legal dilemma between the state's criminal and civil courts, ultimately leading to the Texas Supreme Court issuing a temporary ruling in favor of Roberson.
Roberson, who was handed a death sentence in 2003 for the murder of his 2-year-old daughter, has garnered bipartisan support from legislators and medical professionals who argue that he was convicted based on flawed evidence related to a 'shaken baby' diagnosis. If the execution proceeds, Roberson will become the first individual in the United States to be put to death under the premise of shaken baby syndrome.
