The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of execution March 25 to a Buddhist prisoner on Texas' death row after state officials refused to allow his spiritual adviser to accompany him in the death chamber. The decision could pave the way for more high court rulings in favor of individuals' religious liberty.
Patrick Henry Murphy and a group of inmates escaped from a Texas prison in 2000 and committed numerous robberies, one of which resulted in the fatal shooting of a police officer. Murphy, now age 57 and sentenced to death for the crime, became a Buddhist while in prison. Texas law only allows chaplains who have been extensively vetted to accompany prisoners in the death chamber, and only Christian or Muslim chaplains were available at the time of Murphy's scheduled execution. The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that Texas could not execute Murphy without allowing his spiritual adviser or another Buddhist reverend to be present. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.
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