Justices Grant Rare Stay, Argument on Religion at Executions (1)

The U.S. Supreme Court took the rare step Wednesday night of not only staying an execution but setting the capital case down for full briefing and argument.

On top of blocking John Ramirez’s execution, the high court will hear argument in the fall on the issue of prisoners’ rights to religious advisers during executions.

The issue has divided the justices in multiple cases in recent years. No justices noted any dissent from Wednesday night’s order staying the execution and ordering the case to be briefed in time for oral argument in October or November, at the start of the new ...