Lawsuit challenges Washington lethal injections

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Seattle Times

OLYMPIA — Washington's lethal-injection method is illegal because it can't ensure condemned inmates will be totally unconscious when fatal drugs flow into their veins, three death row prisoners argued in a civil trial this morning.

The lawsuit doesn't seek to end lethal injections in Washington. Instead, it argues the state's procedures should be changed to give stronger assurances that an executed inmate won't be subjected to improper suffering and pain.

State lawyers, however, say the Department of Corrections' methods withstand constitutional tests because they're substantially similar to procedures in Kentucky, whose system was upheld last year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Washington, like roughly three dozen states, uses a combination of three drugs to knock out, paralyze and kill a condemned inmate. Washington death row inmates may opt for hanging instead.


Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009247477_webdeathpenalty21m.html

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. "death row inmates may opt for hanging instead" - OH! - the humanity just MOVES me so . .

.
.
.

What a considerate, compassionate neighbour we have