Days after&nbsp;Lisa Montgomery,&nbsp;only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a&nbsp;judge has granted a stay of execution to her.

The 52-year-old inmate was set to become the first female inmate to be put on a death row in the last 70 years.&nbsp;Montgomery was to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday&nbsp;at a federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute, Indiana.

However, after repeated pleads of her lawyers,&nbsp;Judge James Hanlon of the Southern District of Indiana granted her an&nbsp;eleventh-hour stay of execution late on Monday. The decision was taken considering&nbsp;Montgomery's deteriorating mental health condition.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lisa-montgomery-only-woman-on-death-row-in-us-to-be-executed-on-january-12-354144">Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12</a>

"The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery's current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government's rationale for her execution," Judge&nbsp;Hanlon ruled.

"Both the (government) and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence," he said, adding, "it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition 'cannot appreciate the meaning of a community's judgment."

Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. The inmate, who could not birth a child, aimed her shot at the 23-year-old victim through an online portal and under the guise of buying a dog, she visited&nbsp;Stinnett's house where she then strangled her and cut the baby out of her womb.

Her&nbsp;legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," &nbsp;Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement.

However, Trump had failed to comment or act on the repeated pleads by her legal team. She was to be the first women to be executed by the US government&nbsp;since 1953.

Days after Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a judge has granted a stay of execution to her.

Days after Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a judge has granted a stay of execution to her. The 52-year-old inmate was set to become the first female inmate to be put on a death row in the last 70 years. Montgomery was to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday at a federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute, Indiana. However, after repeated pleads of her lawyers, Judge James Hanlon of the Southern District of Indiana granted her an eleventh-hour stay of execution late on Monday. The decision was taken considering Montgomery's deteriorating mental health condition. Also read| Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12 "The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery's current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government's rationale for her execution," Judge Hanlon ruled. "Both the (government) and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence," he said, adding, "it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition 'cannot appreciate the meaning of a community's judgment." Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. The inmate, who could not birth a child, aimed her shot at the 23-year-old victim through an online portal and under the guise of buying a dog, she visited Stinnett's house where she then strangled her and cut the baby out of her womb. Her legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement. However, Trump had failed to comment or act on the repeated pleads by her legal team. She was to be the first women to be executed by the US government since 1953.

Stay granted to Lisa Montgomery, first female inmate on death row in US

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20.

Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-again-delays-execution-of-lone-woman-on-federal-death-row-352470">US judge again delays execution of lone woman on federal death row</a>

Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby.&nbsp;

She will be the first woman to be executed since 1953 and will be receiving a lethal injection as her final punishment for murdering the Missouri woman.

US district court judge Randolph Moss had earlier ruled that the justice department of the US had unlawfully rescheduled her execution, and had ignored an order from the Direcotr of the Bureau of Prisons demanding her execution to be scheduled for January 12.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-execute-first-woman-in-december-after-six-decades-336213">US to execute first woman in December after six decades</a>

Now, the ruling has been handed over by a three-judge panel on the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit.&nbsp;

Montgomery's legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," &nbsp;Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement.

As per the US Bureau of Prisons records, the last two women to ever be executed in the United States of America was Bonnie Brown Heady, who was executed on December 18, 1953 for kidnapping and murder, and Ethel Rosenberg who was executed for espionage. Her husband, too was executed.

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20. Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20. Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Also read| US judge again delays execution of lone woman on federal death row Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. She will be the first woman to be executed since 1953 and will be receiving a lethal injection as her final punishment for murdering the Missouri woman. US district court judge Randolph Moss had earlier ruled that the justice department of the US had unlawfully rescheduled her execution, and had ignored an order from the Direcotr of the Bureau of Prisons demanding her execution to be scheduled for January 12. Also read| US to execute first woman in December after six decades Now, the ruling has been handed over by a three-judge panel on the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. Montgomery's legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement. As per the US Bureau of Prisons records, the last two women to ever be executed in the United States of America was Bonnie Brown Heady, who was executed on December 18, 1953 for kidnapping and murder, and Ethel Rosenberg who was executed for espionage. Her husband, too was executed.

Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12

The US Justice Department announced on Thursday it was reinstating a two-decades long dormant policy to resume the federal government's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-for-man-involved-in-calculated-murder-of-chinese-student-234135">use of capital punishment</a> and immediately scheduled the executions for five death row federal inmates.

"Congress has expressly authorised the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people’s representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the President," Attorney General William Barr said in a statement.&nbsp;

"The Justice Department upholds the rule of law - and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system."

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has called for increasing use of the death penalty for drug traffickers and mass shooters.

The Justice Department said it has scheduled executions for five federal inmates who have been convicted of horrific murders and sex crimes.

Those inmates include Daniel Lewis Lee, a white supremacist who was convicted in Arkansas for murdering a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl.

Another one of the five is Lezmond Mitchell, who was found guilty by a jury in Arizona of stabbing a 63-year-old grandmother and forcing her young granddaughter to sit next to her lifeless body on a car journey before slitting the girl's throat.

"Each of these inmates has exhausted their appellate and post-conviction remedies," the department said, adding that all five executions will take place at the US&nbsp;Penitentiary Terre Haute in Indiana.

The US Justice Department announced on Thursday it was reinstating a two-decades long dormant policy to resume the federal government's use of capital punishment and immediately scheduled the executions for five death row federal inmates.

The US Justice Department announced on Thursday it was reinstating a two-decades long dormant policy to resume the federal government's use of capital punishment and immediately scheduled the executions for five death row federal inmates. "Congress has expressly authorised the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people’s representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the President," Attorney General William Barr said in a statement. "The Justice Department upholds the rule of law - and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system." US President Donald Trump has called for increasing use of the death penalty for drug traffickers and mass shooters. The Justice Department said it has scheduled executions for five federal inmates who have been convicted of horrific murders and sex crimes. Those inmates include Daniel Lewis Lee, a white supremacist who was convicted in Arkansas for murdering a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl. Another one of the five is Lezmond Mitchell, who was found guilty by a jury in Arizona of stabbing a 63-year-old grandmother and forcing her young granddaughter to sit next to her lifeless body on a car journey before slitting the girl's throat. "Each of these inmates has exhausted their appellate and post-conviction remedies," the department said, adding that all five executions will take place at the US Penitentiary Terre Haute in Indiana.

US Justice Department reinstates death penalty after Trump, Congress approval