Judge rules California must alter protocol for executions

AP ^ | 2/14/2006 | By David Kravets

[Deek1969]

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that California must change its lethal injection method for the execution of Michael Morales next week because the current mix of drugs may constitute cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel in San Jose declined to immediately postpone Morales' Feb. 21 scheduled execution, but he ordered the state to either have an expert present to ensure he's unconscious from a sedative or replace a three-drug death potion with a lethal dose of barbiturate.

[decal]

Fine by me, so long as it's done, unless the pro-criminal element can use this as some sort of precedent causing delays in other states.

[LibFreeOrDie]

B.S. ! The 3-drug sequence is the same one used by Dr. Kevorkian. So how come it was merciful for Kevorkian to kill innocents using those drugs, but suddenly it's cruel when applied to convicted criminals?

[Descendant]

What's the difference between the death potion and and the barbituate?

[taxesareforever]

How about beating, stabbing and raping him. He obviously doesn't think that this is cruel and unusual.

[A CA Guy]

They sedate the person till they sleep, then kill them. How is that not a good way?

[LibFreeOrDie]

"...he ordered the state to either have an expert present..."

The American Medical Association's ethics guidelines prohibit doctors from assisting or administering lethal injections. They're only allowed to pronounce death. So who does this judge think is an "expert"? Oh, yeah, Kevorkian...

[Fruit of the Spirit]

"A federal judge ruled Tuesday that California must change its lethal injection method for the execution of Michael Morales next week because the current mix of drugs may constitute cruel and unusual punishment."

Who cares...as long as it kills him. I think the old methods of hanging and firing squads were more foolproof.

[philetus]

.45 in the back of the head is painless
guillotine is painless
Drop a 50 ton concrete block on him is painless
four claymores from all four sides would be painless

[Mojave]

10 gauge, slugs.

[Bender2]

Well, it is only fair that California's 1st female President do the task...

[LibFreeOrDie]

Death penalty opponents have convinced this judge that there's the slightest possibility that the injectee may be conscious, but paralyzed, after injection #2 and feel excruciating pain from injection #3.

(If you saw Kevorkian kill the man on "60 Minutes" several years ago, you saw how this 3-drug protocol works.)

http://people.howstuffworks.com/lethal-injection4.htm

[Kozak]

Idiot. It IS a lethal dose of barbituate, followed by a lethal dose of a neuromuscular blocking agent, followed by a lethal dose of Potassium. Maybe they should add about .45cal of copper jacketed lead infused intracranially to be sure...

[taxcontrol]

Nitrogen asphyxiation

[Descendant]

No, the article clearly stated that it's a death potion.

[mugs99]

B.S. ! The 3-drug sequence is the same one used by Dr. Kevorkian.

The three drug sequence allows for a change of mind and a chance to administer an antidote. It is BS. Give the guy an overdose of heroin and be done with it.
.

[LibFreeOrDie]

It is NOT a mixture of drugs; it is a sequence of 3 separate drugs. Poor writing in the article.

[Tarkin]

Sigh, why do we bother with all these injections? Wouldn't firing squads be a lot easier? Plus, they are practically immune to C&U challenges (although, OTOH you never know, there is always the IX Circus).

[lunarbicep]

he ordered the state to either have an expert present to ensure he's unconscious from a sedative ...

Fogel said he was concerned inmates are conscious and undergoing extreme pain once a paralyzing agent and then heart-stopping medication begin coursing through their veins.

are they going to have someone slap him to ensure he's unconscious?

I can already hear the lawyers screaming now

[fr_freak]

You know, I thought judges were supposed to interpret law. So how, exactly, does the function of interpretation of law translate into this idiot judge being able to dictate execution procedure? Either he determines that the procedure is "cruel and unusual", or he finds that it is not. He has no authority to order evidence to be investigated. He either determines that the evidence presented to him in court points to one conclusion or another, or is insufficient to reach any conclusion, in which case the current procedure stands.

These activist, dictatorial judges really, really need to be done away with.