Update: Federal judge refuses to halt execution

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel denied Rais Bhuiyan's request to halt the execution state-sponsored murder of Mark Stroman tonight in Huntsville. In his order, Judge Yeakel said that he did not have the authority to intervene in the execution. (H/T Texas Tribune)

According to this Austin Legal post on the Austin American-Statesman website:

[Judge Yeakel] also noted that “the irreparable injury asserted by Bhuiyan — his claim of violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights statute being rendered moot — is outweighed by the damage to the operation of the criminal justice system as a whole that would result from this court’s granting the requested stay.”

Mr. Bhuiyan's attorneys announced that they were prepared to file an immediate appeal with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals if Judge Yeakel denied his request.

I'm intrigued by this notion that granting the stay would cause damage to the "operation of the criminal justice system as a whole." Is that what we call clogging the wheels of the death machine?

Now I'm not a religious man by any means, but the words of Marty Troyer, the pastor of the Houston Mennonite Church, speak volumes...

Today, in our Texas’ death chamber, we will put Mark Stroman to death for crimes he commited. I, for one, am tired of killing. I am tired of my complicity in executions, violence, vengeance and hate.

UPDATE: The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to issue a stay of execution based upon Mr. Bhuiyan's claims.