CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Firing Squad

deathpenaltyinfo.org ^ | 2006

[doug from upland]

Firing Squad

Firing squad still remains a method of execution in Idaho, although lethal injection as an alternative method is allowed. The most recent execution by this method was that of John Albert Taylor. By his own choosing, Taylor was executed by firing squad in Utah on January 26, 1996. For execution by this method, the inmate is typically bound to a chair with leather straps across his waist and head, in front of an oval-shaped canvas wall. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the inmate's blood. A black hood is pulled over the inmate's head. A doctor locates the inmate's heart with a stethoscope and pins a circular white cloth target over it. Standing in an enclosure 20 feet away, five shooters are armed with .30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds. One of the shooters is given blank rounds. Each of the shooters aims his rifle through a slot in the canvas and fires at the inmate. (Weisberg, 1991) The prisoner dies as a result of blood loss caused by rupture of the heart or a large blood vessel, or tearing of the lungs. The person shot loses consciousness when shock causes a fall in the supply of blood to the brain. If the shooters miss the heart, by accident or intention, the prisoner bleeds to death slowly. (Hillman, 1992 and Weisberg, 1991)

[Nailbiter]

ping to 15

[esoxmagnum]

I'd choose death by Snoo-Snoo for myself

[Mike Darancette]

One bullet to the back of the head. - Done.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

The only use of the proverbial 16-ton weight, that I know of, was the Salem witch trials where a man was sentenced to be "pressed" under a large slab. Given a sizable iron weight dropped from a fair height, it would be pretty darn quick (if that's the definition of humane they want to use). Pretty easy cleanup too, just hose the room down, and a fill a drum from the catch basin with the remains. ;-)

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Of course what the founders had in mind with the term "cruel and unusual" had to do with justice that was in recipricol "just" with the crime. That is any form of execution for murder could not by definition be "cruel and unusual". OTOH, execution for petty theft is exactly what they meant by a "cruel and unusual" punishment.

[GladesGuru]

When Lavoisier (sp) was guillotined, he had an agreement with the doctor who attended such executions. Fifteen seconds after the head was severed, the doctor called the executed's name and the eyes in the severed head opened and focused on the doctor, then closed. This occurred fifteen seconds later upon repetition fifteen seconds later. The third time there was no response.

Therefore, we can assume the head to be capable of response for at least 20-30 seconds after beheading.

[GladesGuru]

Pressing was done by adding weights, not by sudden impact/crushing.