World News
Protests mount, vigils planned to oppose Kentucky execution
Published:
FRANKFORT, Ky. (CNS) -- Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed a death warrant for Gregory Wilson Sept. 2, which cleared the way for his execution Sept. 16, barring a last-minute court reprieve. Kentucky's Catholic conference and the bishops who make up the body have been actively involved in Wilson's case, as have many parishes and groups opposed to the death penalty. Busloads of people were scheduled to bring people from Covington and Louisville for a vigil outside the prison in Eddyville, where the execution is to take place. Prayer vigils were planned for Catholic parish churches and cathedrals in Louisville, Covington, Owensboro, Bowling Green and Lexington. Efforts to block Wilson's execution extended to Europe, where the Sant'Egidio community was organizing protest activities. In a unanimous decision Sept. 3, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Wilson's appeal, saying that by adopting new regulations for executions in May, Kentucky did not "stop the clock" and enable Wilson to appeal on new grounds. "Here, the state merely adopted its pre-existing protocol as a regulation, making no material changes to the method of execution," said Judge Danny Boggs, writing for the three-judge panel. "As it relates to Wilson's claims, the new regulation is indistinguishable from the previous lethal injection protocol," he wrote, according to The Associated Press.
Copyright (c) Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .
