SCOTUS hears death penalty case

Posted on January 9th, 2008 by ecthompson md

I object to the death penalty on a number of fronts. First, is it being applied fairly? If not then we have a system problem. Secondly, do high profile cases get different treatment? For example, if someone is accused of killing a highly respected businessman are they more or less likely to get the needle? Thirdly, does the race of the assailant matter? What about the race of the victim? Finally, how often are we wrong? How often have to put an innocent man or woman to death? If the answer is never then the system works well. If the answer is sometimes but we don’t know the number then that’s a problem.

I know that all of these questions are related to fairness. Anyway, the supreme court heard arguments about whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment earlier this week. Even if the cocktail is painful, the pain only lasts a couple of minutes at most. Hell, getting stuck with a needle is painful. I think that the Supreme Court is missing the point. If we are going to be in the business of executing those that “deserve” execution then we need people skilled in field of executions. There should be trained personnel that aren’t doctors or nurses but something else. They should be the ones that decide what drugs to use. They should be the ones who start the IV and administer the drugs. They should have a couple of a couple of years of training after college.

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From NYT:

With conservative justices questioning their motives and liberal justices questioning their evidence, opponents of the American manner of capital punishment made little headway Monday in their effort to persuade the Supreme Court that the Constitution requires states to change the way they carry out executions by lethal injection.

Donald B. Verrilli Jr., the lawyer for two inmates on Kentucky’s death row who are facing execution by the commonly used three-chemical protocol, conceded that theoretically his clients would have no case if the first drug, a barbiturate used for anesthesia, could be guaranteed to work perfectly by inducing deep unconsciousness.  (more…)

Scotus listens to lethal injection [ 2:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Legal // 2 Comments »

  • medicale

    Of course justice, and by extension- if applicable- executions are not applied fairly. Death penality is hugely inefficient and costly, what with more and more automatic & merit-based appeals, and the occasional wrongful conviction & recompense for the victim.

    That is why I am against death penalty, per se. These murderers, esp of helpless children…. After calming down, I know they will face the wrath of public ire and become a pariah (or worse) in the prison system. (A friend who works in one such facility, says these convicted child molesters/murderers are segregated for their protection).

    Do you suppose a “death technician or Execution major” is needed? Can’t EMT’s assess signs of life and even declare someone dead? The prison physician should have a final look-see as well, although he/she allowing ethical distance from this un-Hippocratic endeavor.

    Death by lethal injection, as read yesterday on NPR, is “outdated”. People get upset about the paralytic used in this cocktail, which hides possible agonal movements or assessment. According to this story, even animals are put to death more humanely via a massic dose of barbiturate.

    Also, good venous access is VERY important. SCOTUS justices would do well to consider a highly qualified medical “death squad” and physicians should also assess the felon.

    If we must have death penalty, do it right, and humanely.

  • http://www.whereistheoutrage.net ecthompson

    Great comment. Thanks.

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