U.S. appeals court lifts injunction against Ohio executions
Source: Reuters
A divided U.S. appeals court on Wednesday lifted a preliminary injunction against Ohio's lethal injection process, potentially clearing the way for the state to resume executions.
In an 8-6 ruling, the full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction affirmed in April by a three-judge panel from the court that had delayed executions in Ohio. The state appealed that injunction against the use of a three-drug protocol.
The appeals court in its ruling on Wednesday disputed the lower-court finding that it was likely that Ohio's use of midazolam hydrochloride entailed a "substantial risk" of serious pain that violated prisoners' constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment. Midazolam is used to render condemned inmates unconscious before two other drugs are administered in executions.
"The district court's findings thus provide little support for its conclusion that Ohio's three-drug protocol creates an unconstitutional risk of pain," the majority opinion said.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ohio-execution-idUSKBN19J2O4
U.S. | Wed Jun 28, 2017 | 3:59pm EDT
By Chris Kenning | CHICAGO
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