Since April of 2014, Oklahoma has not executed any prisoners because an execution of a Mr. Lockett went awry when the sentenced man was witnessed writhing in pain at the lethal injection. Execution by this particular cocktail has been accused as unconstitutional because of the visibly painful effects. The failure to deliver a swift and painless death has been attributed to a switch in drug from pentobarbital and sodium thiopental to midazolam because of supplier refusal to sell the previous drugs as means of lethal injection. The current lethal injection mixture will undergo a Supreme Court review and, until a verdict has been met, there will be no prisoners executed from Oklahoma.
It is funny to me that a form of killing has been named unconstitutional because the death sentence violates the basic right to life, so it is inherently unconstitutional. I am glad, though, that the people currently on death row will not be subjected to any more pain than they have to since methods are being reviewed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/oklahoma-asks-justices-to-delay-executions.html?referrer=
All though I don't necessarily agree with the death penalty, it is good news that they will not be in pain during their passing. We can only hope that we will find other alternatives for the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people undergo the death penalty annually in America. Also, how do we justify it in our Constitution that ending another's life is acceptable?
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