Texas man faces execution after jurors consult Bible to decide fate
A convicted murderer faces execution in Texas after jurors consulted the Bible while deliberating on his sentence.

By Tom Leonard in New York
Published: 5:56PM BST 15 Oct 2009

Amnesty International has appealed to the state to commute the sentence on Khristian Oliver, 32, who is due to die on November 5.

He was sentenced to death in 1999 for murdering a man whose home Oliver was burgling. The victim was shot in the face and beaten with his own rifle

It later emerged that while deciding whether he should be given the death penalty, jurors consulted the Bible. Four jury members admitted that several copies had been in the jury room and that highlighted passages were passed around.

At one point, a juror reportedly read aloud from a copy, including the passage: "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death."

Defence lawyers argued in appeals that jurors had been improperly influenced by the Bibles but the trial judge rejected the claim, a decision upheld by a Texas appeals court.

The US constitution calls for the separation of state and religion. In 2005, the state supreme court in Colorado overturned a death penalty on a convicted murderer because jurors had consulted the Bible while deliberating over his sentence.

Commuting Robert Harlan's sentence to life imprisonment without parole, the court ruled that the Bible constituted an "improper outside influence" and a reliance on what it called a "higher authority".

However, a federal appeals court ruled last year that while the Bible should not have been allowed into the deliberation room at Oliver's trial, there was no clear evidence to indicate they had influenced the jurors' decision. In April this year, the US Supreme Court refused to hear Oliver's appeal.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International's UK director, said Oliver's trial was a "travesty".

"Religious texts provide consolation and spiritual guidance for billions of people the world over, but this use of the Bible to decide life or death in a capital trial is deeply, deeply troubling," she said.

However, a federal appeals court ruled last year that while the Bible should not have been allowed into the deliberation room at Oliver's trial, there was no clear evidence to indicate they had influenced the jurors' decision.

Seems believable, they were probably going to sentence him to death anyway, this is Texas...

The state that gets the job done.

You're going to have to try harder than that.

These are individual citizens exercising their right of freedom of religion in guiding their morals and thus judging their peer.....no one made them read the bible not to mention this should have never been made public as it is not applicable and yes if someone read the Koran or the some sort of Devil worshiping BS literature I would not have a problem with that.

Do you have a prejudice against Christianity?

This man killed a man, and he should be put to death.

I agree but did they really need an old book to tell them to kill him? If a Scientologist pulled that, they'd be the ones on the executioner's block.

I agree but did they really need an old book to tell them to kill him? If a Scientologist pulled that, they'd be the ones on the executioner's block.

This man was going to get the death penalty either way,if the bible was referenced or not.

These are individual citizens exercising their right of freedom of religion in guiding their morals and thus judging their peer.....no one made them read the bible not to mention this should have never been made public as it is not applicable and yes if someone read the Koran or the some sort of Devil worshiping BS literature I would not have a problem with that.

Do you have a prejudice against Christianity?

This man killed a man, and he should be put to death.

Yes and now he might get off because it'll be framed in that light. Had they just said, "Kill him!" they'd be no issue.

The law is quite clear, there isn't a need to consult a book that also advocates the genocide of non-believers and homosexuals, or really outlandish concepts like the earth existing before light.

The Bible NEVER says anything about killing of homosexuals and non-believers.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."

The Bible NEVER says anything about killing of homosexuals and non-believers. Violence/murder is against the 10 commandments, so i dont want to hear those lies.

16But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

17But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

13If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them

Have fun with that

LOL.

Let me ask you, do you understand anything about modern day Christian theology?

LOL.

Let me ask you, do you understand anything about modern day Christian theology?

Doesn't matter, what he said was that no where in the Bible did it say yadda yadda and blah blah. I proved that wrong

Modern thought doesn't influence what has been written down for centuries, it's the other way around

This man killed a man, and he should be put to death.

All I read was your post and interpreted as you arguing that Christianity is a religion that condones violence. But that is simply an ignorant statement.

Modern day thought, Christianity as a whole, is an evolving religion. Don't let an archaic book with passages written down many years ago influence what you think Christianity is today. Perhaps you're familiar with "love your neighbor" "turn the other cheek" "take care of the widow, feed the orphan" "give unto Caesar what is Caesars"

EDIT- Also, stay away from anything from a particular sect. Interpret yourself, don't let someone dictate what God wants.

All I read was your post and interpreted as you arguing that Christianity is a religion that condones violence. But that is simply an ignorant statement.

Modern day thought, Christianity as a whole, is an evolving religion. Don't let an archaic book with passages written down many years ago influence what you think Christianity is today. Perhaps you're familiar with "love your neighbor" "turn the other cheek" "take care of the widow, feed the orphan" "give unto Caesar what is Caesars"

EDIT- Also, stay away from anything from a particular sect. Interpret yourself, don't let someone dictate what God wants.

So when a man kills another man he is a murderer, but when the state kills a man it is justice?

Honestly, I'm opposed to both, but for entirely different reasons, and even if I were in favor of the death penalty I would be dead set against people using a religious text to decide upon its application. What happens if a jury are using the bible as reference and have a case where a man killed a practicing Wiccan? Should they let him off because of Exodus 22:18?

So when a man kills another man he is a murderer, but when the state kills a man it is justice?

At one point, a juror reportedly read aloud from a copy, including the passage: "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death."

So when a man kills another man he is a murderer, but when the state kills a man it is justice?

To the bolded, read your previous sentence. By your logic that is all equally irrelevant.

Leviticus 20:13 in the King James version:



With regard to the subject of the thread: a jury should ONLY consult works of LAW when determining the verdict of a case.

So when a man kills another man he is a murderer, but when the state kills a man it is justice?

Yes, Its sad; they should have never referenced the bible, even though it is correct.



The Bible NEVER says anything about killing of homosexuals and non-believers. Violence/murder is against the 10 commandments, so i dont want to hear those lies.

The family of this man that was MURDERED him shouldn't get justice according to you. Oliver CHOSE to kill this innocent man, he could have just burglarized him. But he CHOSE to murder the innocent man, and now he has a chance of getting free. I have lost even more hope in humanity.

The family of this man that was MURDERED him shouldn't get justice according to you. Oliver CHOSE to kill this innocent man, he could have just burglarized him. But he CHOSE to murder the innocent man, and now he has a chance of getting free. I have lost even more hope in humanity.

Solving a murder with a murder. Taking a life is murder and nobody has the right to do it.


Justice does not need to result in yet another murder. I lose hope every time I hear people defending the death penalty, it should not exist or be used for any reason.

a life for a life. Oliver has given up his free life to kill an innocent man, that has not done anything to him. When you CHOSE to murder somebody, you know the consequences.

And the founding fathers chose to separate church and state and placed it as the FIRST amendment and these jurors chose to violate it

Why do you hate the founding principles of this country?

Nobody has a reason to take a life unless others (or yourself) are in danger. Murder is murder and by taking his life the state is committing the same crime.

wow wow and wow

I cant believe a liberal is lecturing me of why i hate the founding principals of this country. The constitution states you have the freedom to chose your religion. It only puts a limit on a religion that advocates human cannibalism. The only way a case can get thrown out of court is if a person's rights are not read to them while they are arrested. This man deserves the death penalty, he killed a another human being.

And the founding fathers chose to separate church and state and placed it as the FIRST amendment and these jurors chose to violate it

Why do you hate the founding principles of this country?

The other prisoners and the community are in danger of being around this murderer.