USA Today reports on anew twist in litigation seeking to delay execution of an inmate. A suit was filed in federal district court in Indiana seeking a stay:
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a Buddhist priest who has ministered to condemned inmate Wesley Purkey, argues that the pandemic would risk the health of Rev. Seigen Hartkemeyer who is "religiously obligated" to attend Purkey's July 15 execution....
Purkey's lawyers asserted that Rev. Hartkemeyer, 68, has lung-related illnesses that "make him particularly vulnerable to COVID-19."
The lawsuit claims that the timing of the execution, "forcing Rev. Hartkemeyer to risk his health and life to perform his religious duties as Purkey’s priest," violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
