UPDATE: Appeal Of Arizona Minutemen Murders Death Sentence May Continue With Partly-Sealed Request, Says U.S. Supreme Court

The Arizona death sentence of Minuteman murderer Jason Eugene Bush is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, the highest court in the land allowed Bush's attorney to partly seal his petition.

Bush's death sentence was upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court in August. He was part of a group of Minutemen border militia members in 2009 who decided to try to fund their organization by robbing and killing drug smugglers. They pretended to be immigration officials and entered the Arivaca home and killed 29-year old Raul Junior Flores and his 9-year old daughter Brisenia.

The Arizona Supreme Court's opinion was also newsworthy because of the concurring opinion by Judge Larry Winthrop. Winthrop agreed there were no reversible errors but penned an opinion saying the death penalty should not be imposed because it is "unconstitutionally cruel" and "unconstitutionally unusual."

Today's order allows the supplemental appendix to Bush's appeal petition to be filed under seal.

Arizona's Politics has asked Bush's attorney about his (now-granted) motion and his soon-to-be filed petition for writ of certiorari, and will update this article as necessary.

Benjie Sanders/Arizona Star

This article was contributed by Arizona attorney Paul Weich.

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