The execution of Kenneth Foster is scheduled tomorrow, August 30 at 6:00 p.m. Foster was sentenced to death under the Texas "Law of Parties" provision. If you aren't familiar with the case of Kenneth Foster, you can catch up here.
After a day's delay, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is scheduled to issue its ruling on a possible commutation of sentence for Kenneth Foster at 1:00 p.m. today. Governor Perry can either accept or reject the board's advice. Supporters of Kenneth Foster plan a rally this afternoon, after the board's decision.
The Campaign to Save Kenneth Foster will hold a rally and press conference to respond to the board's decision at 5:00 PM at the Texas Governor's Mansion (Lavaca at 11th).
Capitol Annex points out that as a Methodist, the decision to commute Foster's sentence should be easy one for Perry.
The call for mercy for Foster has literally reached around the world, and in the process, cast a harsh light on the Texas legal system. Jimmy Carter and Bishop Desmond Tutu are the latest in a distinguished line of concerned citizens, organizations and newspapers to call for a halt to the execution.
Update: According to the Texas Moratorium Network, there has been another delay in the decision by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles did NOT make a decision today on the case of Kenneth Foster, Jr. There was a crowd of about 75 people who had gathered at the governor's mansion in Austin waiting on the decision, but it never came. Now, we expect a decision tomorrow. We do not know what the reason is for the delay, but it is not really the best way to conduct a decision about an execution when the governor will have much less than 24 hours to consider whatever the board recommends. In fact, the governor should go ahead and issue a 30-day stay because of the BPP's failure to give him 24 hours to make a decision.There is still time to contact the governor's office and urge him to stop Foster's execution. Contact info is here.
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