Judge will consider postponing executions if state, which botched execution of Clayton Lockett, proves unable to act quickly in implementing new guidelines
A federal judge said Thursday he is concerned Oklahoma will not be able to implement new guidelines and training for executions before three inmates are scheduled to die this fall.
“I’m having a hard time seeing how all of this can be done,” US district judge Stephen Friot said during a hearing in a lawsuit filed by 21 death-row inmates in Oklahoma who allege that their executions could be cruel and violate their constitutional rights.
“The timing issues become that much more prominent,” Friot said in denying the state’s motion to stay the lawsuit. He suggested the state seek a delay of executions while the lawsuit continues and said there would be an injunction hearing “pretty soon”, but did not set a specific date.
Assistant attorney general John Hadden told Friot during the hearing that he needed to consult with prison and other state officials before deciding on a course of action. Aaron Cooper, a spokesman for Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, said in an email to the Associated Press that the office had no comment.
If the state does nothing, Friot said he will consider the inmates’ request to postpone all executions.
Oklahoma recently said it would revamp its procedures for administering lethal injections, retrain its staff and renovate its death chamber after the 29 April
execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhed and moaned before he was declared dead 43 minutes after his execution began.
Source: The Guardian, Sept. 18, 2014
