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The Oklahoma Lethal Injection Challenge

By Steve Hall

"Oklahoma attorneys fight execution drug challenge," is the title of Robert Boczkiewicz' report for the Oklahoman. An Oklahoma death row inmate's challenge to a lethal injection drug has no merit and his execution should be allowed to proceed, a state attorney argued Friday to an appeals court. Convicted murderer Jeffrey Matthews wants the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay his execution, contending the state's intention to use a drug it never has used would violate the Constitution and state law. ?There is no practical difference? between the new drug, pentobarbital, and the drug the state previously has used, sodium thiopental, state Assistant Attorney General Seth Branham wrote in 51 pages of arguments. An execution date has not been set for Matthews, but prison authorities plan to use the same drug Matthews is challenging to execute John David Duty on Thursday...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on December 13, 2010 (boomark / email).