A Brief Reprieve

Convicted killer Hung Thanh Le received delay in his execution tonight, thanks to Gov. Brad Henry.

Henry granted the stay late Thursday afternoon after receiving an official request for a delay from the government of Vietnam. Officials with the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, DC requested additional time to review the case file of Le.

Gov. Henry said the stay will allow Vietnamese officials ample time to review the case file

So let me get this straight. The Governor refused to take the unanimous advice of his Pardon and Parole Board. He refused to listen to the 150 protestors who showed up at the capitol yesterday. Yet he’s listened to the government of Vietnam? What’s the deal? Did they say they’d support his lottery proposal or something?

Maybe I should start calling him “Red” Henry instead.*

*by the way, I’m not actually implying Gov. Henry is a communist. I just find it odd that this is the reason he decided to postpone the execution of the man who admitted killing his friend with a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife. What kills me (no pun intended) is the defense is claiming Le suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to his torture by… the same Vietnamese government now seeking to spare him from execution.