Jan 30, 2014
Following last minute appeals by the defense, a U.S. Supreme Court had ordered a temporary stay of execution on Tuesday only to remove it by Wednesday, leading to Smulls' death Wednesday night.
The plea concerned the state's refusal to disclose the name of the compounding pharmacy used to mix the drug, pentobarbital. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate compounding pharmacies but they are regulated by states. If not mixed properly the drug can cause "cruel and unusual punishment," as the defense argued.
Al Jazeera Americareports:
Smulls' attorneys spent the days leading up to the execution filing appeals that questioned the secretive nature of how Missouri obtains the lethal drug, saying that if the drug was inadequate, the inmate could suffer during the execution process. [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay late Tuesday before clearing numerous appeals Wednesday -- including the final one that was filed less than 30 minutes before Smulls was pronounced dead, though the denial came about 30 minutes after his death.
U.S. states have increasingly turned to these compounding pharmacies for execution drugs because a number of drug companies in the European Union have begun withholding drugs from states who plan to use them for the death penalty.
Earlier this month Oklahoma executed prisoner Michael Wilson with an injection of pentobarbital. His last words were: "I feel my whole body burning."
Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire was also executed this month using a untested cocktail of "experimental" execution drugs, which left him struggling and gasping for air for over twenty minutes.
______________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following last minute appeals by the defense, a U.S. Supreme Court had ordered a temporary stay of execution on Tuesday only to remove it by Wednesday, leading to Smulls' death Wednesday night.
The plea concerned the state's refusal to disclose the name of the compounding pharmacy used to mix the drug, pentobarbital. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate compounding pharmacies but they are regulated by states. If not mixed properly the drug can cause "cruel and unusual punishment," as the defense argued.
Al Jazeera Americareports:
Smulls' attorneys spent the days leading up to the execution filing appeals that questioned the secretive nature of how Missouri obtains the lethal drug, saying that if the drug was inadequate, the inmate could suffer during the execution process. [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay late Tuesday before clearing numerous appeals Wednesday -- including the final one that was filed less than 30 minutes before Smulls was pronounced dead, though the denial came about 30 minutes after his death.
U.S. states have increasingly turned to these compounding pharmacies for execution drugs because a number of drug companies in the European Union have begun withholding drugs from states who plan to use them for the death penalty.
Earlier this month Oklahoma executed prisoner Michael Wilson with an injection of pentobarbital. His last words were: "I feel my whole body burning."
Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire was also executed this month using a untested cocktail of "experimental" execution drugs, which left him struggling and gasping for air for over twenty minutes.
______________________
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following last minute appeals by the defense, a U.S. Supreme Court had ordered a temporary stay of execution on Tuesday only to remove it by Wednesday, leading to Smulls' death Wednesday night.
The plea concerned the state's refusal to disclose the name of the compounding pharmacy used to mix the drug, pentobarbital. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate compounding pharmacies but they are regulated by states. If not mixed properly the drug can cause "cruel and unusual punishment," as the defense argued.
Al Jazeera Americareports:
Smulls' attorneys spent the days leading up to the execution filing appeals that questioned the secretive nature of how Missouri obtains the lethal drug, saying that if the drug was inadequate, the inmate could suffer during the execution process. [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay late Tuesday before clearing numerous appeals Wednesday -- including the final one that was filed less than 30 minutes before Smulls was pronounced dead, though the denial came about 30 minutes after his death.
U.S. states have increasingly turned to these compounding pharmacies for execution drugs because a number of drug companies in the European Union have begun withholding drugs from states who plan to use them for the death penalty.
Earlier this month Oklahoma executed prisoner Michael Wilson with an injection of pentobarbital. His last words were: "I feel my whole body burning."
Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire was also executed this month using a untested cocktail of "experimental" execution drugs, which left him struggling and gasping for air for over twenty minutes.
______________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.