In the next post I will assemble coverage of yesterday's Florida State Supreme Court hearing. In this post, I'll link you to coverage in several states.
In Alabama, a new li challenge has been filed. The Mobile Press-Register has, "Another death row suit is filed."
Lawyers for an Alabama death-row inmate have filed another federal lawsuit in
Mobile seeking to halt the execution on the grounds that the state's method of
lethal injection is unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, the condemned man's daughter has sued seeking to block the state
from conducting an autopsy if prison officials do execute him.
Tommy Arthur, convicted in 1991 of murdering a Muscle Shoals man, was set to
die at Atmore's Holman prison Sept. 27. But Gov. Bob Riley postponed the
execution for 45 days to give the Department of Corrections time to implement
new death-penalty procedures.
The Arizona Republic has, " Execution delayed for Ariz. killer."
The Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday halted the execution of an Arizona
death-row prisoner until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether lethal
injection is cruel and unusual punishment.
Jeffrey Landrigan, 43, was scheduled to die Nov. 1 for the 1989 murder of
Chester Dean Dyer, 42, whom he stabbed and strangled after an afternoon of sex
and drinking at Dyer's Phoenix apartment. Landrigan had escaped from a prison
in Oklahoma, where he was already serving a sentence for murder.
In Arkansas, the Springdale Morning News has, "Death Row Inmate Receives Stay As Supreme Court Case Looms."
A federal appeals panel granted a stay Thursday to an Arkansas
death row inmate scheduled to die next week by lethal injection, a method the
U.S. Supreme Court will examine in a coming case.
A split panel of three judges from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at
St. Louis granted the stay to death row inmate Jack Harold Jones Jr. Jones
appealed to the court last month, arguing his scheduled Oct. 16 execution
should be delayed as the Supreme Court hears the case of two Kentucky inmates
over lethal injection.
In Jackson, Mississippi the Clarion-Ledger reports, "Court sets execution date for killer."
The Mississippi Supreme Court set Oct. 30 as the execution date for convicted
killer Earl Wesley Berry, despite an unsettled debate over the legality of
lethal injection, the execution method used in Mississippi and 37 other states.
Berry had asked the state high court to stay his execution until the U.S.
Supreme Court had decided on an appeal challenging lethal injection.
Finally, today, the Nevada Appeal reports, "Execution Procedures Tightened," for a scheduled October 15 execution of a volunteer who has waived appeals.
Prisons director Howard Skolnik said Thursday the protocols for Monday's
execution of William Castillo have been changed because of concerns raised in
a case challenging lethal injection as unconstitutionally cruel.
And:
Skolnik said the execution will go as planned but to ensure Castillo is not
suffering, he will receive double the dose of each of three drugs used in
prior Nevada executions.
The first of those drugs renders the inmate unconscious. The second paralyzes
him and the third stops the heart, causing death.
Skolnik said one other change has been made in the protocols, the sedative
offered inmates before the execution is no longer an option for the inmate but
mandatory.
He said that change was made because of what he witnessed as deputy director
when Sebastian Bridges was executed. Bridges entered the death chamber
screaming and fighting with guards and had to be forcibly restrained.
The Appeal also has, "ACLU calls on Pardons Board to block death sentence," and "Nevada has long history of inflicting capital punishment."
Next post, the Florida hearing. The lethal injection index is here.
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