US court halts Arizona inmate's execution

[webfact]

Court halts Arizona inmate's execution

(BBC) A US court has ordered the execution of an Arizona death row man to be delayed until he gets more details about the lethal injection procedure he faces.

The appeals court said Joseph Wood was entitled to know more about the drugs that would be used to put him to death.

Wood's lawyers had successfully argued that prison officials had violated their client's First Amendment rights.

The 55-year-old has been convicted for killing his former girlfriend and her father in 1989.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28389907


-- BBC 2014-07-21

[tomyummer]

This is a needle, there's where you will be strapped, and here are the chemicals which when mixed will cause you such pain but we'll never see it because you will also be sedated enough to where your body can't move.

Please send us a note from Hell whether or not it did hurt.

[easton]

I always thought a good way to kill two birds with one stone was to execute the condemned with drugs that had been seized. Just give him a bunch of confiscated heroin and the deed is done, its a win win!

[klauskunkel]

The appeals court said Joseph Wood was entitled to know more about the drugs that would be used to put him to death.

Wood's lawyers had successfully argued that prison officials had violated their client's First Amendment rights.

Entitlement: The murderer is entitled to get more info on his execution procedure. The lawyer is entitled to more money and PR for delaying the execution. The victims are entitled to rot in their grave.

[rethaier]

What a pathetic excuse to spend more taxpayer dollars. He's gonna die, why does he need to know what's in the med bottle. I'll bet he did not even think about it this is all a lawyers doing.

[Doc46]

What in the name of Satan is this Crap? Why in Hell has a Criminal sentenced to the death penalty has the Right to anything except a Quick execution,,,NOTHING ELSE

[poweratradio]

Let him die in his cell with the non distructable photos of his victims. Death is to easy.

[abrahamzvi]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

[realenglish1]

I don't get it . Before they used a bullet to the heart. Back then they did not discuss if it was a hollow point or needle nose or blunt end. Its was just lock and load.

Whats the difference here

[tomyummer]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

Yes, to improve roads, work in the mines and for dangerous jobs such as mine clearing or medical testing.

I personally think Singapore has set a precedent on laws and punishment and therefore has one of the safest societies. The 'death for drug traffickers' warning on flights seems pretty convincing.

[Basil B]

25 years on death row, how barbaric...

This was a domestic dispute, why the death penalty in the first place?

The death penalty does nothing to reduce murders, he has done 25 years of hell, assess him and if he is no risk to society let him out under licences.

[klauskunkel]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent.So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

Actually, once a criminal has been executed, it would prevent him from committing any crime. Ever. Again. So, it is a proven and effective deterrent, q.e.d.

What you are trying to say, I believe, is that living criminals and criminal aspirants are not deterred by the threat of execution, which is true. But then again, they are not deterred by anything, so, might as well execute them to prevent repeats.

About inhuman way of punishment: When someone denies a human being the right to exist, tortures the human being for sport and/or self-gratification until death, then that someone has voluntarily given up its own humanity and is not human anymore - any rights/considerations that apply to humans do not apply to this creature, period. You see, being human/inhuman is a concept, an abstract construct, not depending on a physical body. It's just that the terms "being human" and "human being" are so similar, that one superimposes the one on the other so easily.

Life imprisonment: what for? the creature caused enough damage already, don't let it continue being a drain on human society and economy.

[rotary]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

Agreed it is of little value as a deterrent but it does get rid of a useless POS and protects the general public.

[Rogie]

I'm not an American, and their laws and the way the various Amendments are interpreted and used confuses me (another example: the way gun laws are framed) so I won't comment on their right to enact capital punishment or the ways prisoners on death row are treated by the authorities and by lawyers.

But, seeing as they do, it seems to me crazy that the states which operate capital punishment can't organise what should be the simplest thing, putting the convicted man to death. If you are going to kill a person make it quick and efficient. The muddle they got into in Oklahoma back in April when a guy took too long to die caused an uproar. Apparently in this case three different drugs were used, and because of problems with the supply of the usual drug, in effect this guy was a guinea pig. Some states use only one drug, but the source of supply for all the drugs seems to be in a state if flux.

Until they sort this unfortunate state of affairs out, switching to a different execution method makes a lot of sense. However the alternatives are even less acceptable to public opinion. These people don't like to think convicted men are executed by firing squad, hanging or the electric chair, so I suppose that's why the lethal injection method was devised.

If the authorities can sort out this mess quickly then the status quo can probably be restored, but, with the rest of the world watching, otherwise they are in danger of becoming a laughing stock. That's no way to run a country. The federal government must be squirming.

[hawker9000]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

"hard labor"

How can it NOT be a deterrent if the would-be murderer is DEAD??!! (Perhaps you know of a case of a dead person committing a murder; please, by all means, share.)

[Arkady]

25 years on death row, how barbaric...

This was a domestic dispute, why the death penalty in the first place?

The death penalty does nothing to reduce murders, he has done 25 years of hell, assess him and if he is no risk to society let him out under licences.

In most European countries he would hv been released years ago on parole.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[ChoakMyDee]

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

No.

[hawker9000]

It's done. With the family of his victims present, he chose to die thanking his defense team for their efforts... Some after-action nonsense now making the rounds, providing some pols with photo-ops, about the execution being "botched" (because it apparently took 2 hours). So he got a little nap in (on the taxpayers) before lights out. The creep is dead; mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

My sympathies to the family. My compliments to the executioner (and the "people of Arizona").

Edited July 25, 2014 by hawker9000

[Vacuum]

abrahamzvi, on 21 Jul 2014 - 11:14, said:

Capital punishment is wrong. It is no more than legal murder. Further it has been proved that it is no deterrent. So why use such a n inhuman way of punishment. Isn't it better to sentence a murderer to life imprisonment with hard labour??

He would probably call in sick most of the time.