Topic
Lethal Injection
639 published works
Death Penalty
Pentobarbital in Executions: Cruel and Unusual Punishment?
By Reba Kennedy
This month, the question is raised once again about what the condemned actually experience when undergoing lethal injection, and whether or not this constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. It appears…
Criminal
Pyrrhic victory for federal death row inmates in DC Circuit lethal injection litigation
As reported in this Courthouse Legal News piece, headlined "Federal Executions on Track but DC Circuit Flags Legal Errors," two federal defendants scheduled to be executed in coming days and…
Sentencing Law and Policy
"Courts, Culture, and the Lethal Injection Stalemate"
The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Eric Berger now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract: The Supreme Court’s 2019 decision in…
Criminal
“Courts, Culture, and the Lethal Injection Stalemate”
The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Eric Berger now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:The Supreme Court’s 2019 decision in Bucklew…
Other
Big new NPR investigation showing pulmonary edema in executed inmates suggests a painful process
NPR has this interesting and extended new piece about the medical realities of modern executions under the headline "Gasping For Air: Autopsies Reveal Troubling Effects Of Lethal Injection." The who…
Sentencing Law and Policy
After DC Circuit denies <em>en banc</em> review, wondering what might be next for litigation over federal lethal injection plans
As reported in this Bloomberg News piece, headlined "D.C. Circuit Won’t Reconsider President Trump’s Execution Win," on Friday "President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr got one step closer…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Tennessee completes yet another execution using the electric chair
As reported in this AP piece, a "convicted murderer was put to death in Tennessee's electric chair Thursday, becoming the state's fifth prisoner over 16 months to choose electrocution over…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Despite Sixth Circuit approval of existing execution protocol, Ohio Gov Mike DeWine signals his plans to delay another scheduled execution
Despite having many execution dates scheduled, Ohio has not completed an execution in more than a year because of concerning about lethal injection problem that prompted outgoing Gov John Kasich…
Death Penalty
Lethal Injections and Compounding Pharmacies: Why These Are Very Bad Sources of Supply
By Reba Kennedy
The federal government has announced it will begin executions again this year using a single drug, pentobarbital, as its lethal injection method. The source of that pentobarbital is not known,…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Federal officials reportedly considered using fentanyl for executions when restating machinery of death
As reported in this post from July, federal officials have scheduled as series of executions starting in December of this year and have announced the creation of a new "Federal…