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A JUDGE HAS granted a stay of execution to Lisa Montgomery, who was today set to be the first female inmate executed by the US federal government in 70 years.
Montgomery (52) has been imprisoned for 16 years after she killed a pregnant woman in order to steal her foetus.
She was scheduled to receive a lethal injection this evening at a federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute, Indiana.
But Judge James Hanlon of the Southern District of Indiana granted her an eleventh-hour delay in carrying out the court order yesterday.
Montgomery’s lawyers had argued she was too mentally incompetent to be executed, and said she had been born brain-damaged and endured a life of extreme abuse before committing her crime.
“The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery’s current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government’s rationale for her execution,” Judge Hanlon wrote in his ruling.
“‘Both the [government] and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence,’” he said, citing precedent.
But “it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition ‘cannot appreciate the meaning of a community’s judgment.’”
Hanlon said the court will set a time and date for a competency hearing for Montgomery.
In 2004, unable to have a child, Montgomery carefully identified her pregnant victim – 23-year-old dog breeder Bobbie Jo Stinnett – online.
Under the guise of buying a puppy, Montgomery went to Stinnett’s home, where she strangled her to death and cut the baby from her body. She left Stinnett dead in a pool of blood.
In 2007, she was convicted of kidnapping resulting in death and handed a death sentence.
She would have been the first woman executed by the federal justice system since 1953.
Without denying the seriousness of her crime, Montgomery’s lawyers last week sought clemency from US President Donald Trump.
But Trump, an outspoken supporter of the death penalty, has so far failed to act on their request.
Despite the decline of capital punishment in the US and around the world, Trump’s administration resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus and has been carrying them out at an unprecedented rate ever since.
Since the summer, 10 Americans have died by lethal injection at Terre-Haute. In addition to Montgomery, two men are scheduled for federal execution this week.
Montgomery may escape the death penalty entirely, as President-elect Joe Biden – due to be sworn into office on 20 January – opposes capital punishment.
The Democrat has promised to work with Congress to try and abolish the death penalty altogether.
Montgomery’s execution has been postponed once before: after her lawyers tested positive for Covid-19 in November, a court postponed her execution until at least 31 December.
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I for one haven’t learned anything new they are still a bunch of lying pr*cks
Hopefully they don’t sell the remaining state assets.
One thing I learned this weekend was never to vote for labour ever again. I would rather have all my teeth pulled out without anaesthetic then give this shower another go in government
This woman and her party are an affront to every hard working decent person in this country. They really are completely deluded if they expect anything other than complete annihilation at the next GE.
You have to laugh at the 3rd photo, Brendan Howlin holding a “recovery for all” banner, WTF! Cringe-worthy and embarrassing slogan that shows the delusion and cognitive dissonance permeating the labour party. Wipe out at the next election for Labour and good riddance.
I listened to Joan Burton claim credit for every Irish person who dragged themselves out of the s*it. While conveniently disregarding who forced them into that fly infested s*ithole in the first place. They disgust me.
I can’t believe that as a party they haven’t learnt from what happened the Green Party in the last election. It’s going to be one hell of a crash for labour!
Well one thing we learned about the Labour party is that their members are still delusional
It amazing, Hugh O’Connell , that you can quote Mairiea Cahill on a whim , but should we raise the connection between the Government Parties FG – Lab. / FF etc and she and the absolute admission by her, that she is an active Dissident , who is campaigning to break the Good Friday Agreement, by assisting in such means – such reasonable comment is often removed by you, as Editor .
Can you explain please ?
I’m just waiting to see how the ‘refund ‘ of €100 for signing onto one particular quango works out.
So the person in charge of the Dosp has cried foul for years… Said we cannot afford the current bill.. And yet the government decide we will all get a refund from the Tanaistes department.. The department of social protection… Ah hear.
I know where I would like to insert that banner SuperTed!
Our very own Thatcher lite.Burton the most despised woman in the country bar none.
If you take into account the amount of journalists attending and the amount of empty seats they really are up sh#t creek.
Ha ha ha best laugh I had in ages….. Had to laugh otherwise I’d cry,God help our kids
F××king parasites. The lot of them
Its Labours way or Up to the Joy with you
Gus,,,, Ha HA GOOD ONE ,They really are a sickening crowd ,i wanted to puke ,
Joan forgot to mention all the sick on trollies in hospital or the big payouts to the water consultants.
They are a junior partner in coalition ffs Jack and the Health Minister is FG.
If you are going to throw barbs, at least throw them in the right direction.
What’s that big river in Egypt called Charlie?
You should know this, you and your fellow clowns have lived in it long enough.
And what has that got to with anything Charlie? Doesn’t matter who has which post, they are part of the government and if they had any gumption or the slightest sense of loyalty to those that elected them we would have had a GE in 2012. They are as weak and ineffectual as the Greens were and they will meet the same fate come 2016.
Charlie…Labour just obeying orders Mein Furheir
Dermot. I am not a supporter of the Labour party. Just because I point out the policies of a olitical party that I like does not mean that some of the decisions they have taken really tick me off. And just for the record, I think Gilmour, Burton and Rabitte are a disgrace to any so called socialist movement.
How can Lorraine Higgins be on the main stage and be at the forefront of everything that Labour do when her own constituents have told her time and again that they don’t want her representing them?
Someone has to play with the children when the camera is about – The “mortgagee beelt” couple are ideal for the “we’re all in this together” buzz they are going for .
Representing the progressive Dinkys – while pretending to be socialist – hence the children .
I wouldn’t let my children within an asses roar of politicians, the little people should not be used as props in my opinion .
This Government fought Louise O’Keefe all the way in Europe lest we forget – she had to go that far for an apology. Defeated in every Irish court as well – what does that say about the judiciary ?
They are all lying to themselves now, what a shower.
€15 Million Pension bill for Labour Ministers (Sindo today). No wonder they want us to pay for water charges! It’s great how iso getting a higher pension if ur a Minister you get 2 pensions. One td’s pension and another ministerial pension! Near on €100k pension per year, that’s a pension of €2000 per week!! + €130k tax free lump sums. And not 1 but 2 termination payments. Unreal.
2011 Labour opposes water charges. 2015 Labour Minister implements water charges. Jan2019 on €166 p.p. per year {€3.70/m3 × 45m3/yr p.p.}.
And on top of that we’re supposed to fund a private pension for ourselves. So we’re paying their pension but we’re ourself as well.
Paul, we pay so much tax already we cant afford to pay for a pension. The cost of these politicians exhorbitant pensions costs many times the actual payout and we have to pay for it and now the want to impoverish us further w/ more tax in the form of water charges. This society has become extremely unequal. I’d love to hear Labour justify a pension of €2000 per week.
You can see the comparison between Hitler in his bunker in Berlin and Burton in Kerry both are and where surrounded by brain washed fools and coming near the end.
The poor kids are trying to make HowlIn look tall,He looks as tall as Danny Devito.
It seems unfair to highlight Lorraine Higgins when the same will be true for all of them.
The sunset crew look forward to ridiculous pensions which they “earned” and the more junior careerists are hiding their regret in bluster.
The Labour Party deserve oblivion but sadly, their talk will be of a new “Dick Spring” – a shining light to lead them into a new era of second string parliamentary performance.
They are a pimple on the arse of our democracy.
The public need to demand this sort of madness is addressed in any election manifesto.
While children with Cancer can’t get a medical card. It has to stop.
would that not be bordering on theft , or fraud , to take so much money for doing nothing , the rest of us have had to work damned hard for many years to get 225€ a week.
The reason I highlight her Paul is because she has never been elected by the people that she wants to tell what to do. They don’t want her but yet she is at the forefront of everything Labour.
They’re all promises now that an election is coming! Just remember, Labor policy on promises made before elections. Lying,”Isn’t that what you tend to do during an election?” They’ll promise you whatever they think you want to hear and then get amnesia about it afterwards….Ask yourself, would you buy a used car using the clasifieds from ANY of them? If yes, check yourself into the nearest funny farm because you’re NUTS!!!
They’re going through the motions to buy time to stay in power – they know they are wiped out after the next election – they are in the double or quits position – they are just going to stay there until someone call the bluff – Was the re a Labour Minister in the Department of Finance when the H.S.B.C. 350 story broke why did it take 5 years to become public knowledge even though some Irish people (the tinfoil hat brigade ) knew it but were listened to when they wrote about private accounts in Switzerland.
Are Labour there to represent the Left or Millionaires and their off-shore money ?
I bet many Labour voters will never vote for the Party again – They must feel very Fraped !
Thats what i dont get, eveyones letting them, unopposed, run on a recovery theyd nothing to do with (they were obsessed with defecits n did nothing for growth) and ignoring their long list of broken promises from 11.
Can somone in the media interupt yheir crap talk on the economy and ask what happened to their policies on college fees, healthcare, medical card charges…and next time they call not having water charges ‘utopian’ maybe remind them it was THEIR policy in 2011?.
Oh dear, Labour new low. Maria Cahill award was terrible cringe attempt to discredit Sinn Feinn. Abuse of abuse victim. Doesn’t get dirtier than that in gutter politics.
They must be really scared of them.
Maurice McCabe would of been the obvious hands down choice for a pursuer of justice award.
They gave the award to a person who proudly stated her opposition to the good Friday agreement and membership of a dissident republican group, quite pathetic move by these clowns.
It’s as if they care about her personally.
I learned everything I needed to know about the Labour Party back in the 80s. Those younger than me have no doubt, learned everything they needed to know about labour over the past 36 months.
One trick ponies flogging dead horses. The greatest tribute we can pay to the founder of their party on the centenry of his execution fighting for the people of labour, is to bury the abomination his party has become deeper than a water meter in hell.
Roll on the GE.
So what’s the Shinners take on the eight amendment WJ or are they still waiting to see which way the country swings like they did with the water meters?
At least Labour have had the guts to come out and say they want it removed from the constitution.
Labour took decisions…. cutting heating allowance, the dole for young people and slashed the back to school clothing allowance.
You must be so proud, it took some guts to attack the most needy.
Give it up Charlie! Fgs, you can’t be that naive to actually buy into their horse s**t can you? Diehard labour supporter but you can’t see that they couldn’t be further removed from what labour actually stood for. At least they’ll have 1 vote in the next election I gurss
I’m not a diehard Labour supporter, far from it. I’m fed up with all politicians and their populist garbage that they dole out to us.
I don’t support any party.
What we’ve learned: that this is the best gov ever from kelly, our teachers need to be disciplined from o’sillivan and somebody is bullying the labour women, well…. Call the guards joan, its on your speed dial!
Just wondering. Are u gonna call the guards joan if someone doesn’t vote for u in the next election, cause we’ll probably need to recruit more guards so joan.
I bet there’s a more upbeat attitude on death row in U.S. prisons than at the Irish Labour Party conference.
Ya, coz must fellas on death row have about 15 years left in em, this crowd are fluckered in 1!!
Any other person or persons who got so much flack would have had the common sense to realise they dont have a chance and pack their bags and head off with their tails between their legs.
No common sense here tho, or wisdom. So why the f#@k Joan Burton do you think we the electorate are suddenly going to change are minds. Stop wasting your time and resign… Do us all a favour..
Overpayed ignorant morons .sitting around saying how well we’ve done .lying shower of sh:ts
For shame Labour.
Stumbling from lie to lie with a delusion of achievement as their rabble of slack jawed supporters look on from their slurry pit of denial…..a full week after we in FG done it.
Labour had a chance to become an even bigger party..but 7 % is embarassing for them..ireland needed a good labour party and just look at them now..nearly gone
Haha. Slight correction to no 1. Should be “the alan kelly farewell show”.
Oh dear. Conceding defeat already.. No 4.
No 5. Sorry.
After listening to the load of tripe that came out of Joans mouth i know why after 20 years that i voted labour they will never get a vote again we have no true labour party anymore
Number 9 – the big protest etc.
That protest will be at the General Election – bye bye so called Labour
I learned all politicians dont give a fook about the people who’ve elected them.
All they care about is their bank balance.
Labour know they wont get reelected but they know they’ll all be getting a nice fat pension for fk all.
Dont get me started about FG:)
The joke.s on us..
Partys are yes men for our eu masters.
F off Labour.
Well what I have learned is that Labour have no backbone.
Wont be getting my vote… not ever.
To be fair, “no backbone” would be refusing to take the tough, unpopular decisions that have to be made for the country’s future. If it were left to the likes of Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, AAA, et al, we’d all be speaking German in a few years time.
Fine Paul but they didn’t know when to stop, there is only so much people can take before deciding enough is effing enough!.
Has anyone given him the moniker Comical Kelly yet on account of his delusion?
Trying to make Howlin look taller just doesn’t work.
Labour the bit that supports FG and FG policies. Didn’t need a conference to know that.
The SF/IRA Trolls on the Journal think that their comments will make a difference! It will not!
Probably not Powerabbey but the next election will make a difference. And btw not everybody who disagrees with Labours policies if they have any is a “SF/IRA” troll thanks.
Haha..you’ve some nerve to call anyone a troll sonny, I doubt powerabbey is your real name.. hahaha, you pathetic anonymous coward.
Name the serious alternatives!
Dermot – you are very articulate! I’m impressed by the depth of your views!
AS nor will yours powerabbey…DUHHHH!!!
Read what you said and explain – if you can!
Powerabbey….you’re a stinking troll using an anonymous coward account therefore your opinion is invalid, I give more respect to the sh!t I scoop out from the cats tray each evening so jog on bitch.
..”The SF/IRA Trolls on the Journal think that their comments will make a difference! It will not!”
And neither will Joans speech and false promises come next April Paddy.
That was for Powerabbey or whatever your name is today
Your commentary gets even more articulate as you progress. I’m sure your comments are a good representation of your standards.
Many thanks for you comment. I don’t agree!
Your comments…every last one of them…. are invalidated by your coward account P.
Now go to bed kid.
Powerabbey – is referring to Trolls !!!!!!
FG have about a dozen – it’s said that you guys are paid by the word and each have a dozen fake Twitter Accounts each – True ?
Dermot – I’m stunned that you are still answering when you can’t articulate any argument.
Kerry – as usual your contributions are meaningless. Anyone who disagrees with you is a troll. Tell the commandant that it is your bedtime now.
What argument troll?
I’m responding to your inane drivel…the usual shyte you throw up whenever someone rightfully calls out Labour or their cronies in fine gael, everyone is a shinner and this repetitive fallacy proves that you yourself are severely lacking in constructive and articulate debate.
You shy away from topics here that advertise failures in health, homelessness, social stability and education preferring to troll other comments, don’t pontificate to me about argument when the only way you engage is through anonymity and invented aliases on Twitter.
Powerabbey – That’s a beauty comment coming from you guys, with your Blueshirt Fascist involvement and your close intimate connection to The British Conservative Party and The Unionist Parties !
You need to read before you send your comments. I understand that you have difficulty with English. You shortsighted comments have no relevance and are a copy of the organised troll on this site.
Kerry – as is normal with you when you have no specific arguments you drop to insult. Unlike yourself I have no specific political allegiance – I vote for what I think will be best for the country. As you know I don’t support terrorists – you can share this with your commadant.
Neither will the comments from the numpties who support fg/lab
You mean the electorate?
Another classic Labour moment brought to you by Powerabbey. Straight out of the “Fat Rabbitte trying to sound clever but ending up sounding stupid” book of faux pas. Correcting somebody about their English comprehension and then using you instead of your. Tut tut.
Dumb and Dumber 2! But oblivion awaits these deluded Labour pseudos . It will be Election 2016 (?) Armageddon for this miserable excuse for a Political Party.
Won’t be there much longer the traitors
Worst speech we have had ever heard……Labour RIP.
Lay Burr. Dead & soon to be buried. Stop the cluster f##k now. That is all!
It’s like a cut and paste from last year’s one. Self congratulation and love in at its finest. Deluded bunch.
I think Howlin and his fellow apes should forget what’s going on in Greece and concentrate on his own party’s failings. The more this gang of c***s blackguard syriza the more obvious it becomes that Irish labour are as far from being socialist as it’s possible to be. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.
Here’s everything we’ve learned at the Labour conference (so far)
Except the truth…
Kelly is some k#%b jockey
Didn’t see them mention that retirees, Rabbitte, Quinn and Gilmore will get €2 MILLION EACH as their pensions despite this government still not honouring the Waterford Crystal pensioners and robbing 60% off Aer Lingus/DAA deferred pensioners to name but 2 and that’s not counting the €300 MILLION they ” borrowed” from the Pension Fund.
For “borrowed” read ” never paying back just like “temporary” meant permanent for the USC
A thundering disgrace, the lot of ‘em
CAN PEOPLE NOT SEE THAT ALL THAT C…P IS STAGED, Why would anyone do so much staging if it was the truth… They would not but the press feeds of it and the people feed of the press and we drown in thick brown smelly stuff as a result.
After all the self licking a a back slapping they will all go home tomorrow with clean asses
maybe but thats not the shit is coming from
What a treacherous shower of lying batardes.
Deluded. Kelly and his”legacy”. Living in a bubble,the lot of them. Deluded I tell you.
They’re pathetic. I voted for labour at the last election. First and last time.
Done a quick Twitter sentiment analysis for #lp15, ‘Fear Uneasiness’ features strongly make of that what you will! http://pic.twitter.com/dkWqvXNbyn
Deluded. Kelly and his “legacy”. Living in a bubble,the lot of them. Deluded I tell you.
There a bunch of nut cases they lied before and there gonna lie again.Plus Joan is bad need of a face lift.
these fools still think they have a chance thats the sorry part.
I wish to thank the journal for show such unflattering photos of our dear leaders!
“Thirst for justice” how does walking away from a court of law and attempting to hold a trial by media, oe refusing to recognise An Garda as a legitimate police force merit an award for justice….
Labour trying to out stroke both FF and their masters in fg/CnaG. ..
The reason the protest was not huge was there was no organised one planned next one is March and then massive no payment and when IW fails the stress test that will be the end of that entity and hopefully this corrupt government
“Thirst for judgement” award given to a member of a dissident republican group that opposes the good Friday agreement.
Laughable.
Labour. What a great bunch of lads.
Joan Burton,
You may have your knockers,
But I’d still give you one,
A vote that is……..
Labor are about to sell state assets, increase the retirement age and previously cut social welfare for under-25′s. It should be the complete opposite.
Sounds like doing the will of the IMF…
Labour are like a mudguard ,take most of the shit before it gets to the car ,Supporting Fine Gael no matter what cuts or extra taxes it brings in ,to protect the people with large salaries ,Labour are in denial and thinking people will trust them with their votes would need serious help to over come this disillusion ,Better to ask ordinary people instead of their media spin doctors that surround them , Telling them what a great job they are doing ,ffs
I think to say that the anger over water charges has subsided is to grossly underestimate the mass non compliance that’s approaching in relation to paying the bill; the only thing we need to know about the Labour Party is that they are finished so their day of back patting and cuddles was a waste of time.
I’ll be homeless if this lot get in again pity we don’t have any snipers over here
Their poll numbers are on 6%. That means 94% of the citizens of this country do not want them in power. They can dress it up all they want and pretend they are not heading for annihilation in the next general election, but you can’t do much with 94% of the electorate thinking you are a bad choice to vote for.
People should stop picking on Labour. We did not give them sufficient a mandate to enable them to have policies implemented. If anything people should be picking on FG. They are the largest party in government.
Come the next election we will decide who should be the governing coalition. However voters will only have the usual selection of parties to vote for.
A certain amount of revenue must be collected in order to keep the country running. No matter who forms the new government we will have to pay one way or another.
When FG said no new increase in taxes they simply replaced this with a plethora of levies and charges. The next crowd in will probably do away with some of these levies and charges but will simply replace them with other taxes.
Different solutions same result for the ordinary citizen.
No real choice.
Well said Michael. A bit of reality is a refreshing change from all this bitching.
I don’t think SF will replace Labour when it actually comes to votes unless they can present clear alternative policies. That is just not happening at the moment.
What’s the point in Labour then?
They’ve just done what fg told them to do and done it without quibble.
Fine Gael must have been delighted to have such servile dogs to cajole and form into a fine gael lite party.
No amount of revisionism, lies and denial from the champagne socialist crew will save them next election nor remove the stains on their legacy.
so why couldn’t Labor make property and water taxes a non-runner?
The argument that being the minority party in the coalition has left Labour powerless to prevent FG from forcing their agenda through might have held water if they had been seen to resist and at least attempt to block them. In fact, the opposite has been true – FG and Labour have consistently presented a united front on everything, and as such Labour have lost much of their support.
lies,lies ,lies
all out of the Joan and her partys mouths
Media using kid gloves for the last two weeks did enda and joan have a word in their ears about not rocking the boat
More and more it seems the rowdy protesters only appear in working class areas of Dublin and aren’t as representative as first thought.
The spoonfed propaganda won’t work. Pop into dublin on March 21st and tell the protesting masses that they’re not representative.
After looking at iJoan on the TV this morning and comparing her with photos taking last week, I get the impression that she must spend a fortune on Gypsum Plaster. them ould bags under the eyes just disappear every time she comes on the TV
…. And back in the real world …Banksy in Gaza: Haunting images among ruins of war — RT News http://rt.com/news/235703-banksy-gaza-strip-palestine/#.VPL_CMkdT6Y.twitter
Who is Maria Cahill?
Don’t ask SF/IRA – they like to think she does not exist.
Powerabbey, she had her chance in court and pulled out. That’s where things are proven or not. Can’t really take her seriously now. Anything she does now is political with Sinn Féin’s political opponents e.g. Labour, Fine Gael, DUP, SDLP, Fianna Fail.
Word is that Higgins one was on her knees all weekend
have your say