The San Francisco Chronicle reports, "State buys execution drug from British firm." It's written by Bob Egelko.
California prison officials say they're about to receive enough lethal drugs from a British company for more than 80 executions, after running out of their regular supply and looking for replacements as far away as Pakistan.
The 521-gram shipment of the sedative sodium thiopental would allow the state to resume lethal injections at San Quentin State Prison if it can persuade a federal judge, who imposed a moratorium five years ago, that new procedures have eliminated the risk of a botched and agonizing execution.
But the drugs will not be accompanied by an assurance from any agency, state or federal, that they will work the way they're supposed to.
The federal government says that's not part of its job.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which certifies domestic supplies of sodium thiopental for medical use, says it approves the importing of drugs for lethal injections without examining their contents.
Because its mission is "protecting the public health," the agency said Thursday, it "chooses to continue to defer to law enforcement on all matters involving lethal injection."
The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has no obligation to conduct independent tests, said spokeswoman Terry Thornton.
"All our efforts to acquire the drug, and any drug for lethal injection, were done in accordance with state and federal law," Thornton said.
That means the courts must step in, said the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the disclosures.
"If the FDA is going to refuse to enforce the law and ensure the quality of these drugs, then the court must do so," said Natasha Minsker, the ACLU's chief death penalty lawyer in San Francisco.
And:
On Monday, the ACLU will ask a San Francisco Superior Court judge to order the state to disclose more documents. Minsker said the civil liberties group wants all communications from federal agencies and records of any involvement by top state officials.
"We want to know who's making the decisions," Minsker said.
Earlier coverage from California begins at the link; also, more on the British exporter.
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