A court order filled by Sonnier's attorneys states the chemicals used by Texas law during execution by lethal injection would violate his Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment.
According to TDCJ officials, the stay of execution is indefinite until a ruling is decided. If the court rules against him, the original court that tried Sonnier would assign him his third execution date
After a nearly six month long moratorium on capital punishment the United States supreme court decided in April that lethal injection is not cruel or unusual punishment.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has published a list of scheduled executions that started on June 3rd.
Sonnier was convicted of the 1991 rape and murder of Humble resident Melody Flowers.
He also murdered Flowers two year old son.
This was Sonnier's second execution date.