U.S. judge delays first federal executions in 17 years

Reuters ^ | July 13, 2020 | Bryan Woolston

[Stravinsky]

ERRE HAUTE, Indiana (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge issued an injunction on Monday delaying what would have been the first federal execution in 17 years, scheduled for later in the day, thwarting at least for now the Trump administration’s goal of reviving capital punishment at the federal level.

Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. district court in Washington ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to delay four executions scheduled for July and August to allow continuation of the condemned men’s legal challenges against a new lethal injection protocol announced in 2019.

“The scientific evidence before the court overwhelmingly indicates that the 2019 Protocol is very likely to cause Plaintiffs extreme pain and needless suffering during their executions,” Chutkan wrote in her order.

[kiryandil]

An Indiana district federal judge [Obama judge] kept ruling that the execution would be delayed because of concerns from the victims’ family about the coronavirus pandemic.

She was overruled by her circuit court of appeals - the Seventh Circuit.

The three-judge Seventh panel found that the claim from the victims’ family “lacks any arguable legal basis and is therefore frivolous."

The anti-Deathers claimed that they were going to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court - but that course of action is a no-go, because the Supremes would have wiped themselves with the petition. They're busy, and have better things to do.

So the law-farers hit on the next best thing, apparently - get some DC district Bammy judge to rule on ANOTHER excuse for stopping the well-deserved snuff, with the old "cruel and unusual" ploy.

Had it been MY granddaughter, I can tell you that Danny Lee would have learned the true meaning of "cruel and unusual"...

[volunbeer]

To be polite I will just say this is frustrating, but thanks for the explanation.

[kiryandil]

I think one of the lower court judges tried to over rule a Supreme Court decision recently.

It might have been the "public charge" ruling.

[lodi90]

Confirmed by Senate 95-0. Confirmed 167 days after nomination.