On Wednesday, Texas is set to carry out the execution of Ramiro Gonzales by lethal injection for a 2001 murder case. Gonzales, 41, was convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for the sexual assault and killing of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend. His attorneys have appealed to the US Supreme Court, arguing that he should be ineligible for the death penalty under state law due to no longer being considered dangerous.
During the trial, jurors in Texas are required to determine the probability of a capital defendant continuing to commit criminal acts of violence to be eligible for the death penalty. Gonzales' attorneys have presented evidence suggesting that he is no longer a threat, pointing to his Christian faith, ministry work in prison, and altruistic actions such as attempting to donate a kidney to a stranger.
