Fla. Inmate Who Had Won Stay Is Executed [Clarence Hill]

AP ^ | 9/20/6 | RON WORD

[SmithL]

Starke -- A convicted killer who argued that Florida's use of lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment was put to death Wednesday night after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly denied him another stay.

Clarence Hill, 48, was executed for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer in a savings and loan robbery. He did not reply when asked if he had a last statement, staring straight at the ceiling.

Hill had argued that the three chemicals used in Florida executions and by many other states — sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain. The first drug is a painkiller. The second one paralyzes the inmate and the third causes a fatal heart attack.

In January, Hill was strapped to a gurney and his arms were hooked up to IV tubes before the Supreme Court stopped his execution. In June, in a 9-0 vote, the high court ruled that Hill could mount a challenge to the chemicals under a civil rights motion.

However, a district court in Tallahassee and an appeals court in Atlanta refused to hear those challenges, ruling that Hill should have filed earlier. An appeal was again filed with the Supreme Court, which voted 5-4 on Wednesday to deny another stay.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens voted to grant the stay, the court said in a two-sentence order.

[SmithL]

Say hey to Tookie!

[SmithL]

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens

This is why we should never allow the loss of the Senate. Even a RINO will vote for Cloture.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

What did he have to say about how much it hurt after he died?

[nmh]

"Starke -- A convicted killer who argued that Florida's use of lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment was put to death Wednesday night after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly denied him another stay."

He should have thought about that BEFORE he murdered a police officer.

[verum ago]

!!!
my thought exactly

[COEXERJ145]

Well, on Monday there will be one in Texas we can ask. LOL!

[Just Lori]

People have undergone all kinds of surgeries under Pentothal. They should have left that particular drug OUT of the cop killer's IV.

[The Brush]

sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain.

Too bad he was wrong.
Did this guy expect to die laughing?

[TNCMAXQ]

What is more cruel, to do the executing, or let the guy come to within hours or minutes and then say "surprise," you've got a reprieve?! I say just put them to death ASAP.

[OldFriend]

GOOD RIDDANCE

[BipolarBob]

They should have left that particular drug OUT of the cop killer's IV.

Are you suggesting make the first two saline solutions and the last one Drano? Wait!! Don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question.

[montag813]

executed for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer in a savings and loan robbery

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.

PUT AN END TO ENDLESS DEATH ROW APPEALS NOW!

[nmh]

"What is more cruel, to do the executing, or let the guy come to within hours or minutes and then say "surprise," you've got a reprieve?! I say just put them to death ASAP."

I have NO sympathy for a murderer. That officer murdered by him had no choice, no stay, nothing. This creep eeked out a cowardly "reprieve". They should have punished him long ago - execution and stop wasting tax payer dollars and running up legal bills.

[montag813]

Hill had argued that the three chemicals used in Florida executions and by many other states can cause excruciating pain. The first drug is a painkiller.

Painkiller. Well, so much for his argument then.

[outdriving]

Good riddance!

But I wonder why we go through the complication of killing this scum with 3 chemicals.

Why not just give them a double fatal heroin dose?

Too good for their sorry arses, but no more grounds for ACLU (American Criminal Liberties Union) appeals.

[Westlander]

A slow feeding of Norway rats on his body would have been more appropriate.

[montag813]

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens voted to grant the stay, the court said in a two-sentence order.

It has been 12 years and I STILL am shocked that the GOP allowed ACLU Chief Counsel and enemy of America Ginsberg onto the highest court in the land. Cowards.

[Not now, Not ever!]

sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain. So?

[Dionysius]

1982? This sack o' sh-t was breathing for almost a quarter century? That's cruel and unusual punishment for both the family of the vic and the system.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I agree. The expectation of death is far more excruciating than death itself. Pop a slug into the criminal scumbag an hour after sentencing, I say.