{ John Paul Stevens } Supreme Court Justice says horse died more humanely than death row prisoners

AP via KnoxNews ^ | 5/10/8

[SmithL]

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens says the euthanized Kentucky Derby horse Eight Belles probably died more humanely than death row prisoners do.

Stevens drew a round of applause for his comments Friday night in Chattanooga at the 68th conference of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The comments were reported in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

According to the newspaper, in brief remarks Stevens told the audience he checked into the procedure used to kill Eight Belles and was surprised to learn it is against the law in Kentucky to kill animals using one of the drugs in a three-drug lethal injection cocktail that many states, including Kentucky, use to execute prisoners.

The speech comes on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling that shot down a challenge to the three-drug lethal injection protocol by two Kentucky inmates. Stevens voted with the majority on the question of lethal injections but said for the first time that he now believes the death penalty is unconstitutional.

The conference drew almost 50 federal judges and more than 800 attorneys who practice in the 6th Circuit, which has jurisdiction in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan.

Stevens presides over the appeals court his position on the Supreme Court.

[Gaffer]

Crime.......and Punishment....what part of that stipulates 'humane?'

I believe Crual and Unusual was principally meant for punishment not intended to cause death. Death is death and is another matter. I don't think there has been a recipient of this procedure that has complained, has there? If there was, then the executioner should have been billed for the mistake.

[N. Theknow]

If Eight Belles died more humanely, then let vets put prisoners to sleep.

[Fire_on_High]

The difference is, pets are innocent and shouldn’t suffer. Murdering scum SHOULD get a rougher death than Fluffy, age 17.