Florida LI Developments

The Bradenton Herald has, "Florida proposes to use more medical personnel in executions."

At Florida lethal injections, a man in a purple moon suit leans over the dying inmate to listen for a heartbeat and feel for a pulse. After a few seconds, he nods and an announcement is made to the witnesses that the execution has been completed.

The man is a doctor and the attire shields his identity - not just from the prisoner's family and friends, but from the American Medical Association. Its code of ethics bars members from participating in executions, as do those of the American Nurses Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Florida Medical Association.

Despite those codes, Florida will ask Marion County Circuit Judge Carven D. Angel on Tuesday to approve its plan to add more doctors, nurses, phlebotomists (people trained to draw blood) and other medical professionals to its lethal injection teams - something that's done in other states.

But death penalty experts say Florida is the only state that uses a moon suit to shield the doctor's identity - although some others draw curtains or remove the execution witnesses before the doctor emerges. The plastic moon suit, similar to those worn by hazardous materials teams, covers the doctor completely from head to toe. Goggles worn beneath the clear plastic face shield conceals the doctor's identity even further.

"We are a profession dedicated to healing. Participation in an execution is an image of a physician with a dark hood," said Dr. Mark Levine, chairman of the AMA's Council of Ethical and Judicial Affairs. The AMA and other medical groups can revoke memberships for ethics code violations, but they have no licensing authority in Florida or elsewhere.

"It is part of the role of a physician, helping people, preserving life and maintaining the trust and respect of the people we serve," Levine said. "We do not feel killing people is appropriate in that context."

The Miami Herald has, "AMA code of ethics on capital punishment."

The American Medical Association's code of ethics says that while it is an individual decision whether to support the death penalty, doctors should not participate in executions because they are members "of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so."

It defines participation as:

- Any action that would directly cause the death of the condemned.
- Assisting, supervising or contributing to the ability of another person to cause the death.
- Any action that could cause an execution to be carried out.
- Monitoring vital signs.
- Attending or observing an execution as a physician.
- Offering technical advice.
- Selecting injection sites or starting intravenous lines.
- Prescribing or preparing lethal drugs or supervising their injection.
- Consulting with or supervising the lethal injection team.

AMA members who violate the ethics code can have their membership revoked.

Earlier coverage of lethal injection issues in Florida is here.  The lethal injection index is here.  Expect continued coverage at the Lethal Injection-Florida blog.