Saturday, February 3, 2007
Proposed execution protocol may create conflict with medical board
Doctor participation in capital punishment raises ethical issues
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH
State leaders will consider a new execution procedure next week that requires a doctor's participation, but the proposal appears to conflict with the state medical board's recent declaration that physicians who actively take part in an execution violate medical ethics ...
Last year, a federal judge agreed to let an execution proceed only after the state assured him a physician and a registered nurse would be present to ensure the inmate did not suffer pain as he was put to death by injection ...
State law requires that a doctor be present at executions, and that is allowed by the N.C. Medical Board. But the board cautioned last month that a "physician who engages in any verbal or physical activity ... that facilitates the execution may be subject to disciplinary action." ...
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193003253&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099Hard to be certain how this will play out, but I'm afraid the prison here will be killing people here again shortly ...