High Court Declines to Pause Execution over Religious Disputes; Gorsuch Sides with Liberals in Dissent
In a split decision, the Supreme Court chose not to halt the execution of Louisiana's death row inmate, Jessie Hoffman. Hoffman, a Buddhist, contended that using nitrogen gas for his execution would disrupt his ability to perform meditative breathing – a practice vital for him as it holds deep, spiritual significance, his lawyers argued.
Typically taciturn on emergency matters, the Court did not offer an explanation for their decision. Nevertheless, Justice Neil Gorsuch, a staunch defender of religious rights and a conservative, teamed up with the court's liberal members in expressing dissent.
Gorsuch expressed concern that lower courts overlooked Hoffman's religious claim. If he had his way, the case would be sent back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for reevaluation, brushing aside potential merits of the claim[1][5].
"Perhaps his religious claim lacks substance," Gorsuch wrote. "But by neglecting it, we've left ourselves in an unenviable position to judge."
Hoffman was found guilty of the 1996 murder of Mary "Molly" Elliott. Precedents have shown the Supreme Court extending religious accommodations to death row inmates in the past. For instance, in 2022, the Court granted a Texas inmate the right to have his spiritual adviser pray aloud and touch him during his execution[2].
[1] - Enrichment Data: Justice Gorsuch mainly disagreed with the majority decision because he felt the lower court should've given more consideration to Hoffman's religious claim.[2] - Enrichment Data: The Supreme Court has shown flexibility towards accommodating religious practices for death row inmates in some instances, such as allowing a spiritual advisor to pray and touch during an execution.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch, alongside the court's liberal members, expressed dissent against the Supreme Court's decision not to halt Jessie Hoffman's execution, arguing that lower courts should have given more consideration to Hoffman's religious claim.
- In a past case, the Supreme Court extended religious accommodations to a Texas inmate, allowing his spiritual adviser to pray aloud and touch him during his execution, suggesting a precedent for such accommodations.
- Despite his concerns about the lower courts' overlooking Hoffman's religious claim, Gorsuch's dissent did not appeal to the majority, with the Court choosing to not halt Hoffman's execution using nitrogen gas, a decision that left Gorsuch concerned about the Court's position on religious rights.
