The reason for the postponement? The death row inmate, Ronald Phillips, has said he wants to be an organ donor, and word of his possible donation has given pause to the sentencing being carried out, Yahoo! News shares this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013.
The Ohio execution stay involves a condemned killer (Ronald Phillips) who slayed a 3-year-old girl; the 40-year-old was accused and charged with the rape and killing of the daughter of his ex-girlfriend back in 1993 in local Akron. Although his execution date was set for tomorrow, Thursday, the state governor has given pause to his enforced death due to the possibility of Phillips donating his organs and saving another individual’s life.
Although one side of the debaters feel that this could be an honest attempt to make a last good will effort, others feel it is only a ruse to evade the lethal injection Phillips would have inevitably received this week had he not brought up the notion of organ donation.
In deciding to delay the impending execution, Ohio Gov. Kasich is asking the public to be patient during his and other government officials’ review of the 40-year-old’s plea to donate his non-vital organs to others, particularly to his mother and his sister.
Since then, the 3-year-old child rapist and killer’s execution date has been delayed until July 2, 2014, a hefty time difference from tomorrow. The question remains whether this Ohio execution stay is an act of mercy or justice, or if it is simply postponing the condemned man’s life on death row.
Phillips has asked that he be reviewed to see if he can be a viable kidney donor to his mother, who suffers from kidney disease, and to his sister using his heart tissue, as she suffers from a serious heart ailment.
The Governor calls this move a direction of “uncharted territory,” but one that needs to be explored in the realm of death row inmates possibly donating their organs to save the lives of those in need.
"I realize this is a bit of uncharted territory for Ohio, but if another life can be saved by his willingness to donate his organs and tissues then we should allow for that to happen," Kasich commented on the Ohio execution stay debate.
According to the press release, “Ohio's prison medical policy accommodates organ donations, but prison officials said in rejecting Phillips' request Tuesday that he had not made it soon enough for officials to work out the logistics and security concerns.”
What is your reaction to the Ohio execution stay controversy? Should such a ruling be implemented and allowed in the case of Ronald Phillips and future men and women who are sentenced to death by legal execution?
