St. Louis
A federal appellate judge this week ordered Missouri to suspend all executions until it develops a procedure for administering lethal injections that does not cause “unconstitutional pain and suffering.” The ruling came after “John Doe,” the physician who prepares and administers the injections, testified that he is dyslexic, frequently makes mistakes, and performs his duties with minimal oversight. The director of the Missouri Corrections Department testified that the last two times “Doe” injected condemned prisoners, he used half the amount of anesthetic mandated by Missouri’s current protocol. “It is obvious,” Judge Fernando Gaitan ruled, “that the protocol as it currently exists is not carried out consistently.” Illinois, New Jersey, and New York have also declared moratoriums on executions, in part because of concerns over lethal injections.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzzfeature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto KnightsFeature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
