"State Supreme Court Considers Execution Drug," is the Georgia Public Broadcasting report by Ellen Reinhardt.
The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously agreed Monday to reconsider a stay of execution. It’s for death row inmate Warren Lee Hill. One expert says the case could halt all of Georgia’s executions.
A new state law makes certain information about drugs used in executions a “confidential state secret”.
And:
UGA law professor emeritus Ronald Carlson says if the State Supreme Court sustains Hill’s argument, it will have major implications for all death row inmates in Georgia.
He says “All death row sentences will go on hold until the compound that’s going to be used in these lethal injections gets legitimated or clarified. This may be simply the start of a process that could last for some time.”
Carlson says if the state Supreme Court does support Hill’s claim the General Assembly might have to go back and change the law.
Carlson says this is an important constitutional question. “The public does not know what the new drug will be consisting of and how it’s compounded. " He says "These are legitimate concerns. Not that they are concerns that will ultimately wind up in freeing Warren Lee Hill. But certainly they are concerns that a state Supreme Court ought to take a look at.”
Carlson says it’s likely that oral arguments won’t be heard until December or January.
Earlier coverage of Warren Hill's case begins at the link.
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