Jesus Ledesma Aguilar
Encyclopedia
Jesus Ledesma Aguilar was a Mexican
national who became the 365th person executed by the U.S. state of Texas
. His execution sparked an international incident
between the United States
and Mexico, which led to a lawsuit filed by Mexico against the United States in the International Court of Justice
, in which the court found that Texas prison officials had denied Aguilar his right to see a Mexican consular official as specified in the Geneva Conventions
.
ing two people, Leonardo Chavez and Annette Chavez, on June 10, 1995 with a handgun
and sentenced to death on July 5, 1995. He did not know his victims. The couple's son said he witnessed the murders and testified against Aguilar at trial. Aguilar filed numerous appeals and requests for stays of execution, all of which were denied. He was executed on May 24, 2006 at 6:32 p.m. CST by lethal injection
, despite his continued claims of innocence and protests by the government of Mexico that he was denied his right under the Geneva Conventions to a visit by a Mexican consular official.
The ICJ found that the United States "has breached its obligations to Mr. Avena and 50 other Mexican nationals and to Mexico under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations." As a result of the court's ruling, Texas officials now provide official notification to the Mexican government if a Mexican national is arrested and incarcerated in a Texas jail, and allow consular officials to visit Mexican nationals in prison.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
national who became the 365th person executed by the U.S. state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. His execution sparked an international incident
International incident
An international incident is a seemingly relatively small or limited action or clash that results in a wider dispute between two or more nation-states...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico, which led to a lawsuit filed by Mexico against the United States in the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, in which the court found that Texas prison officials had denied Aguilar his right to see a Mexican consular official as specified in the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
.
Crimes
Aguilar was convicted by a Texas court of murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing two people, Leonardo Chavez and Annette Chavez, on June 10, 1995 with a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
and sentenced to death on July 5, 1995. He did not know his victims. The couple's son said he witnessed the murders and testified against Aguilar at trial. Aguilar filed numerous appeals and requests for stays of execution, all of which were denied. He was executed on May 24, 2006 at 6:32 p.m. CST by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
, despite his continued claims of innocence and protests by the government of Mexico that he was denied his right under the Geneva Conventions to a visit by a Mexican consular official.
The ICJ found that the United States "has breached its obligations to Mr. Avena and 50 other Mexican nationals and to Mexico under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations." As a result of the court's ruling, Texas officials now provide official notification to the Mexican government if a Mexican national is arrested and incarcerated in a Texas jail, and allow consular officials to visit Mexican nationals in prison.
See also
- List of individuals executed in Texas
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...