U.S. lethal injection hearings begin

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Whether the use of lethal injections on death row inmates is cruel and inhumane was before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.

The administration of a series of three drugs to execute prisoners is being challenged by two Kentucky death row inmates who claim it is cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Whether executions overall are constitutional isn't being debated before the court Monday, The Chicago Tribune reported from Washington. Rather, the question is whether the combination of chemicals unnecessary pain and suffering and if it should be adjusted to produce a more efficient poison.

The lawsuits were filed after two executions in 2006 were reported. The first was of Angel Diaz in Florida, who took more than 20 minutes to die. The second was Joseph Clark in Ohio, who doctors said was conscious for more than an hour before dying.

A total of 37 states use lethal injection in carrying out death penalities.

Can't they just give them anaesthesia first?...

dabateman · #2 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

U.S. lethal injection hearings begin

Can't they just give them anaesthesia first?...

I suppose they could, but we 'the public/legal field' are questioning the validity of the procedure and it's merits as punishment.

highway80west · #3 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

U.S. lethal injection hearings begin

Can't they just give them anesthesia first?...

That's what sodium pentothal is used for: to put patients to sleep. It is usually the first one to be given to the prisoner before the other two are administered.

cnredd · #4 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highway80west

That's what sodium pentothal is used for: to put patients to sleep. It is usually the first one to be given to the prisoner before the other two are administered.

Well then what's so cruel and unusual?...

Sounds to me there's more pain and anguish from a rectal exam than this...

Yagmi · #5 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

U.S. lethal injection hearings begin

Can't they just give them anaesthesia first?...

Do you think they gave their victims anesthesia first? NOPE...

cnredd · #6 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yagmi

Do you think they gave their victims anesthesia first? NOPE...

Oh believe me...I'm just saying that to shut them up...

If it were up to me, lethel injection would be a very long process...

And I'd start with hot sauce...

crazyflamingos · #7 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Well then what's so cruel and unusual?...

In checking my facts before answering that question, I found this thorough explanation at Wikipedia.

Quote:

Opponents of lethal injection believe that it is not actually humane as practiced in the United States. Opponents argue that the thiopental is an ultra-short acting barbiturate that may wear off (anesthesia awareness) and lead to consciousness and an excruciatingly painful death wherein the inmate is unable to express their pain because they have been rendered paralyzed by the paralytic agent.

Opponents point to the fact that sodium thiopental is typically used as an induction agent and not used in the maintenance phase of surgery because of its short acting nature. Following the administration of thiopental, pancuronium bromide is given. Opponents argue that pancuronium bromide not only dilutes the thiopental, but (since the inmate is paralyzed) also prevents the inmate from expressing pain. Additional concerns have been raised over whether inmates are administered an appropriate level of thiopental due to the body's ability to quickly metabolize the drug, even after execution.[20] Teresa Zimmers, a molecular biologist from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has commented that the amount of thiopental administered to those being executed "would be an unacceptably low dose if the inmate was a pig scheduled for euthanasia."[20]

Additionally, opponents argue that the method of administration is also flawed. They state that since the personnel administering the lethal injection lack expertise in anesthesia the risk of failing to induce unconsciousness is greatly increased. Also, they argue that the dose of sodium thiopental must be customized to each individual patient, not restricted to a set protocol. Finally, the remote administration results in an increased risk that insufficient amounts of the lethal injection drugs enter the bloodstream.

In total, opponents argue that the effect of dilution or improper administration of thiopental is that the inmate dies an agonizing death through suffocation due to the paralytic effects of pancuronium bromide and the intense burning sensation caused by potassium chloride.

Opponents of lethal injection as currently practiced argue that the procedure employed is designed to create the appearance of serenity and a humane death, rather than actually providing a humane death. More specifically, opponents object to the use of Pancuronium bromide, arguing that its use in lethal injection serves no useful purpose since the inmate is physically restrained. Therefore the default function of pancuronium bromide would be to suppress the autonomic nervous system, specifically to stop breathing.
Lethal injection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spencer Collins · #8 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 07:34 PM

At one point, an exasperated Justice Scalia said, “This is an execution — not surgery.”

While I sometimes have mixed feelings on the death penalty,why must we insure that the method used be pain free? There can "never" be such a gurantee,we would have to bring the deceased back to life to verify that it was pain free and that's not going to happen..

cnredd · #9 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

In checking my facts before answering that question, I found this thorough explanation at Wikipedia.

Here's the issue I have which I think is more telling...

For the opponents of this method, I have a simple question...

What DOES work?????

From what I see, the opponents are apt to say "This doesn't work, this doesn't work, this doesn't work." until they're blue in the face, but, since they all seem to be experts (

), you'd think they'd be saying what DOES work so the claim of "crual and inhumane" could be thrown out...

But they don't do that, which leads me to believe that their claims of methods not working is just a ruse to have ALL methods of the death penalty removed, which means their medical pablum is political in nature...

crazyflamingos · #10 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Here's the issue I have which I think is more telling...

For the opponents of this method, I have a simple question...

What DOES work?????

From what I see, the opponents are apt to say "This doesn't work, this doesn't work, this doesn't work." until they're blue in the face, but, since they all seem to be experts (

), you'd think they'd be saying what DOES work so the claim of "crual and inhumane" could be thrown out...

But they don't do that...

Actually, they do.

From the same Wiki article:

Quote:

The opponents say that because death can be painlessly accomplished, without risk of consciousness, by the injection of a single large dosage of barbiturate, the use of any other chemicals is entirely superfluous and only serves to unnecessarily increase the risk of torture during the execution. Another possibility would be the infusion of a powerful and fast-acting narcotic, such as fentanyl, which would ensure comfort while suppressing the subjects respiratory drive. Another drug that could be used is sodium pentobarbital. Sodium pentobarbital is a drug used in animal euthanasia. The drug, which administered in an overdose, causes rapid unconsciousness. Respiratory arrest follows next, by paralyzation of the diaphram and collapsing the lungs. The drug would then suppress cardiac activity, thus causing death.

Lethal injection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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