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Supreme Court to Hear Bush-Texas Standoff
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that asks whether President Bush may order a state court to abide by an international court ruling.
The case involves Jose Ernesto Medellin, who is on Texas death row for the rape and murder of two teenage girls, Reuters reports. He claims he was not advised of his right to meet with consular officials, in violation of the Vienna Convention.
The International Court of Justice had called for new hearings for 50 Mexican nationals on death row in the U.S because they were not quickly advised of their right to speak with consular officials.
In November, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that President Bush exceeded his authority when he ordered U.S. courts to follow that decision.
