Jefferson S. Dunn, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections, Applicant v. Domineque Hakim Marcelle Ray

The Supreme Court let Alabama move forward with Domineque Ray's execution by lifting an Eleventh Circuit stay. Ray had argued that Alabama treated him unequally by barring his imam from the execution chamber while allowing a Christian chaplain, but the Court's order turned on timing and did not resolve that broader question.

The Court granted Alabama's application to vacate the Eleventh Circuit's stay of execution. The prompt shows a dissent by Justice Kagan, but it does not give the vote count or full lineup.

“Because Ray waited until January 28, 2019 to seek relief, we grant the State’s application to vacate the stay entered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.”

The order had an immediate effect on Ray because it removed the lower court's block on his scheduled execution. It also showed how hard it can be for inmates to win last-minute relief, even when they raise a religious-accommodation claim.

This emergency docket action is finished. The practical result was that the Eleventh Circuit's stay no longer blocked the execution.

Ray said Alabama could not exclude his imam from the execution chamber while allowing a Christian chaplain. The Supreme Court instead focused on how late he sought relief.

It cleared away the lower court's stay, so Alabama could proceed with the execution. It also warned other inmates that late-filed religious claims face serious obstacles.

The Court finished this emergency matter by vacating the Eleventh Circuit's stay. That left no Supreme Court block on Alabama's scheduled execution.