He was convicted of killing a police man. He was scheduled to be strapped down to a gurney. He was going to have an IV containing a lethal dose of pentobarbital put into his arm.
Who was going to stop it? He was a cop killer, for chrissakes.
It didn't matter that his trial attorney failed to investigate the case adequately. It didn't matter that his trial attorney viewed the punishment phase of the trial as an afterthought.
But it did matter. So said the Nine Wearing Robes up in Washington. They were far enough from the emotion. They were far enough removed to consider the process by which a man was condemned to death. And they weren't impressed.
Less than three hours before the State of Texas was set to murder Anthony Haynes, the U.S.Supreme Court said it wasn't going to happen. At least not now. Not until the Nine decide whether or not Mr. Haynes received adequate representation at trial.
It's a temporary setback for the killing machine. But anytime you can keep the executioner from doing his job it's a victory. And for Mr. Haynes it's one more day that he'll be able to live.
And that's how you fight the battle. One day at a time. Today is a good day.
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