Page 25 - bon-dia-aruba-20200714

A25
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 14 July 2020
Judge blocks federal executions; administration appeals

Continued from Front concerns, Bonowitz said his
group, Death Penalty Ac-
The inmates have identi- tion, wasn’t encouraging
fied alternatives, including others to show up. No more
the use of an opioid or anti- than a few dozen protes-
anxiety drug at the start of ters were expected to join
the procedure or a diffe- him.
rent method altogether, a “It’s symbolic,” Bonowitz
firing squad, Chutkan said. said about the protests.
The Justice Department “We are just here to say
appealed to the U.S. Court that this is wrong.”
of Appeals for the District of In an interview with The As-
Columbia Circuit. sociated Press last week,
And the Bureau of Prisons Attorney General William
continued with prepara- Barr said the Justice De-
tions in order to move for- partment has a duty to car-
ward should the stay be ry out the sentences impo-
lifted. The man slated for sed by the courts, including
execution, Daniel Lewis the death penalty, and to
Lee has had access to so- bring a sense of closure to
cial visitors, has visited with the victims and those in the
his spiritual adviser and has communities where the kil-
been allowed to receive lings happened.
mail, prison officials said. But relatives of those kil-
He’s been under constant led by Lee strongly oppose
staff supervision. The wit- that idea. They wanted
nesses for Lee are expec- In this March 17, 2003 file photo, guard towers and razor wire ring the compound at the U.S. to be present to counter
ted to include three family Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., the site of the last federal execution. any contention that it was
members, his lawyers and Associated Press being done on their behalf.
spiritual adviser. “For us it is a matter of being
The new hold came a day many unanswered questi- day appealed to the Su- tured urgency for political there and saying, `This is not
after a federal appeals ons about the legality of its preme Court. gain. The developments being done in our name;
court lifted a hold on the new execution protocol,” The decision to move for- are also likely to add a new we do not want this,’” said
execution of Lee, of Yu- said Shawn Nolan, one of ward with the execution -- front to the national con- relative Monica Veillette.
kon, Oklahoma, which was the attorneys for the men and two others scheduled versation about criminal The relatives would be tra-
scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT facing federal execution. later in the week -- during justice reform in the lead- veling thousands of miles
on Monday at the federal The Lee execution was to a global health pandemic up to the 2020 elections. and witnessing the execu-
prison in Terre Haute, Indi- be carried out after a fe- that has killed more than Anti-death penalty pro- tion in a small room where
ana. He was convicted in deral appeals court lifted 135,000 people in the Uni- testers began gathering in the social distancing re-
Arkansas of the 1996 killings an injunction on Sunday ted States and is ravaging Terre Haute on Monday. commended to prevent
of gun dealer William Muel- that had been put in place prisons nationwide, drew Organizer Abraham Bono- the virus’ spread is virtually
ler, his wife, Nancy, and her last week after some mem- scrutiny from civil rights witz drove a van through impossible. An attorney for
8-year-old daughter, Sarah bers of the victims’ family groups as well as family of the city with a sign embla- the family members who
Powell. argued they would be put Lee’s victims. zoned on the side of a trai- have objected to the exe-
“The government has been at high risk for the corona- Critics argue that the go- ler that read, “”Stop execu- cution said they hadn’t
trying to plow forward with virus if they had to travel to vernment is creating an un- tions now!” traveled to Indiana, as of
these executions despite attend. The family on Mon- necessary and manufac- Because of coronavirus Monday morning. q
California shuts bars, indoor dining

and most gyms, churches

wide and ordered gyms, tions on the 30 counties Monday, the state's two
churches and hair salons now with rising numbers, largest school districts, San
closed in most places as including the most popu- Diego and Los Angeles,
coronavirus cases keep lated of Los Angeles and announced their students
rising in the nation's most San Diego, by ordering would start the school year
populated state. worship services to stop with online learning only.
On July 1, Newsom or- and gyms, hair salons, in- LA Unified is the second-
dered 19 counties with a door malls and offices for largest public school dis-
surging number of con- noncritical industries to trict in the country.
firmed infections to close shut down. In March, California was
A hostess waits to sit customers on a restaurant at the pier bars and indoor operations "The data suggests not ev- the first state to issue a
Sunday, July 12, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif., amid the at restaurants, wineries, erybody is practicing com- mandatory, statewide
coronavirus pandemic. zoos and family entertain- mon sense," said Newsom, stay-at-home order to slow
Associated Press ment centers like bowling whose order takes effect the spread of the corona-
alleys and miniature golf. immediately. virus. The order appeared
By ADAM BEAM and KATH- — California Gov. Gavin The Democratic governor He didn't include schools, to work as cases stabilized
LEEN RONAYNE Newsom on Monday ex- extended that order state- which are scheduled to in the ensuing weeks while
Associated Press tended the closure of bars wide Monday. He also im- resume in a few weeks other states grappled with
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) and indoor dining state- posed additional restric- in much of the state. But huge increases.q