Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/558bv.pdf
Page Number: 920.0

ORDERS 

1073 

558 U. S. 

December 2, 3, 7, 2009 

delays  Justice  Stevens  laments.  There  are,  of  course,  alterna­
tives.  As  Blackstone  observed,  the  principle  that  “punishment 
should  follow  the  crime  as  early  as  possible”  found  expression  in 
a  “statute[,]  25  Geo.  II.  c.  37,”  decreeing  that  “in  case  of  murder, 
the  judge  shall  in  his  sentence  direct  execution  to  be  performed 
on the next day but one after sentence passed.”  4 W. Blackstone, 
Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of  England  397  (1769).  I  have  no 
doubt that such a system would avoid the diminishing justiﬁcation 
problem  Justice  Stevens  identiﬁes,  but  I  am  equally  conﬁdent 
that such a system would ﬁnd little support from this Court.  See 
Knight,  supra,  at 990,  n.  1  (Thomas,  J.,  concurring).  I  thus  con­
cur  in  the  denial  of  certiorari. 

Miscellaneous  Order 

December  3,  2009 

No.  09–7843  (09A524).  In  re  Woods.  Application  for  stay  of 
execution of  sentence of  death, presented  to Justice Scalia,  and 
by him referred to the Court, denied.  Petition for writ of habeas 
corpus  denied. 

Certiorari  Denied 

No.  09–7879  (09A533).  Woods  v.  Texas.  Ct.  Crim.  App.  Tex. 
Application  for  stay  of  execution  of  sentence  of  death,  presented 
to  Justice  Scalia,  and  by  him  referred  to  the  Court,  denied. 
Certiorari  denied.  Justice Sotomayor  would grant  the applica­
tion  for  stay  of  execution.  Reported  below:  296  S. W.  3d  587. 

No.  09–7880  (09A535).  Woods  v.  Livingston,  Executive  Di­
rector,  Texas  Department  of  Criminal  Justice.  C.  A.  5th 
Cir.  Application  for  stay  of  execution  of  sentence  of  death,  pre­
sented  to  Justice  Scalia,  and  by  him  referred  to  the  Court, 
denied.  Certiorari denied.  Reported below: 354 Fed. Appx. 863. 

December  7,  2009 

Certiorari  Granted—Reversed  and  Remanded. 

(See  No.  09–91, 

ante,  p.  45.) 

Certiorari  Dismissed 

No. 09–6768.  Staley v. Hall, Warden.  C. A. 11th Cir.  Mo­
tion  of  petitioner  for  leave  to  proceed  in  forma  pauperis  denied, 
and  certiorari  dismissed.  See  this  Court’s  Rule  39.8.