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Manuel Velez, an innocent man, was released from a Texas prison today after almost nine years behind bars, four on death row. Rather than risk a new trial that could be plagued with the same problems that sent him to death row, Velez, an ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵclient, pleaded no contest to a lesser charge.

The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵ filed a request for precautionary measures with the Organization of American States' Inter-American Commission on Human Rights showing that the execution of John Winfield, scheduled for June 18, 2014 in the state of Missouri, will cause irreparable harm should it go forward. The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵasks that the executions be stayed until the IACHR can review and rule on the ACLU's petition that alleges Mr. Winfield's death sentence violates international law. On June 6, 2014, the IACHR granted ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵrequest for precautionary measures against the United States and requested that the Government of the United States to abstain from executing John Winfield until the IACHR has ruled on the merits of the individual petition filed on his behalf.

The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵ filed a petition with the Organization of American States' Inter-American Commission on Human Rights showing that the upcoming executions by lethal injection in Missouri and Oklahoma will violate international law against cruel and unusual punishment, should they go forward. The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵasks that the executions be stopped until the IACHR can conduct independent investigations of the two cases.

Whether the Fifth Amendment imposes any limits on the state's ability to introduce evidence derived from a court-ordered psychiatric examination of the defendant by the state's expert.