US appeals court refuses to halt Texan's execution
| New Orleans
A federal appeals court Monday refused to block the execution of a Texas man scheduled just after midnight to become the first person in the nation to be executed by lethal injection.
The Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals cut off one of several paths attorneys for Charlie Brooks had taken to stop the execution, scheduled for 12:05 a.m. Tuesday. An appeal was also filed with the US Supreme Court and attorneys sought a reprieve from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
