Name: Trump Administration Ends Its Execution Spree By Killing Dustin Higgs
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Trump Administration Ends Its Execution Spree By Killing Dustin Higgs

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Part of HuffPost Politics. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.early Saturday morning,&nbsp;shortly after the Supreme Court lifted a stay from a lower court.&nbsp;Higgs was pronounced dead at 1:23 a.m.&nbsp;EST&nbsp;at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.&nbsp;One-third of the justices on the Supreme Court — which has repeatedly overturned decisions by lower courts to halt executions — were appointed by Trump. The decision to allow Higgs’s execution to proceed came down to a 6-3 split, with the liberal justices opposing the move.&nbsp;four“Dustin was a fine man, a terrific father, brother, and nephew,” his lawyer Shawn Nolan said in a statement. “Dustin spent decades on death row in solitary confinement helping others around him, while working tirelessly to fight his unjust convictions. In spite of those awful circumstances, he remained true to his family, doing all he could to help raise his amazing children, who have grown up to be wonderful people. This is a true testament to Dustin’s character and to the man he had become.”&nbsp;“There was no reason to kill him, particularly during the pandemic and when he, himself, was sick with Covid that he contracted because of these irresponsible, super-spreader executions,” Nolan continued. “Rest in peace Dustin. Shame on all of those involved and all of those who have looked the other way.”Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, In a outlining her opposition to allowing Higgs’s execution to go forward, slammed the federal government and the court for rushing through the killings. “This is not justice,” she wrote.“After waiting almost two decades to resume federal executions, the Government should have proceeded with some measure of restraint to ensure it did so lawfully. When it did not, this Court should have. It has not,” Sotomayor continued.“Because the Court continues this pattern today, I dissent.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Tanji Jackson, the sister of one of the victims, said in a statement released after the execution that she felt “mixed emotions” when she learned Higgs was scheduled to die.&nbsp;A &nbsp;filed by two prisoners at Terre Haute — who are not on death row —&nbsp;sought to stop the executions on the grounds that holding such large gatherings at the prison complex risked their lives by potentially exposing them to COVID-19.The men asked for all executions to be halted until the pandemic was over or until they had been vaccinated. A federal judge that the Bureau of Prisons could continue with the executions as long as staff followed COVID-19 protocols, such as wearing masks.&nbsp;But during Johnson’s execution on Thursday night, witnesses that two people working the execution did not wear a mask the entire time they were in the chamber.On Friday, the two non-death row prisoners&nbsp; to stop Higgs’s execution or ban the staffers who had removed their masks from participating, arguing the government had violated the court’s order. In response, the government but claimed it was briefly so staffers could communicate clearly.&nbsp;The government argued it wasn’t a violation of the court’s order because the order did not explicitly define “mask requirements.”The judge sided with the government and&nbsp;&nbsp;Higgs’s execution to proceed as planned.&nbsp;Over signed a Change.org petition calling to halt his execution.&nbsp;

Part of HuffPost Politics. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.early Saturday morning,&nbsp;shortly after the Supreme Court lifted a stay from a lower court.&nbsp;Higgs was pronounced dead at 1:23 a.m.&nbsp;EST&nbsp;at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.&nbsp;One-third of the justices on the Supreme Court — which has repeatedly overturned decisions by lower courts to halt executions — were appointed by Trump. The decision to allow Higgs’s execution to proceed came down to a 6-3 split, with the liberal justices opposing the move.&nbsp;four“Dustin was a fine man, a terrific...

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Trump Administration Ends Its Execution Spree By Killing Dustin Higgs

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