Texas executions stayed over drug source controversy
Source: San Antonio Express-News
A Houston federal judge on Wednesday blocked the executions of two condemned killers who argued that the state's failure to disclose details about the drugs that will be used to kill them violated their constitutional rights.
In a five-page order, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore also ordered prison officials to disclose the names of suppliers of the drug used in executions, the powerful sedative pentobarbital, among other details concerning the acquisition and testing of the drugs.
Blocked by the order is Thursday's scheduled execution of Tommy Lynn Sells, facing the death penalty for killing a South Texas girl, and Ramiro Hernandes Llanas, facing execution for killing a Kerrville rancher.
State officials said they had not seen the order, and had no immediate comment. They indicated an appeal is likely.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Texas-executions-stayed-over-drug-source-5370603.php
Eugene
(61,592 posts)Source: Reuters
BY JON HERSKOVITZ AND HEIDE BRANDES
AUSTIN, Texas Wed Apr 2, 2014 8:33pm EDT
(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court overturned a temporary stay of execution on Wednesday for two Texas inmates challenging the state's lack of disclosure about the supplier of the drugs to be used in their lethal injections this month.
The decision puts back on track an execution scheduled for Thursday evening that had been suspended temporarily earlier on Wednesday by a federal judge in Houston, who found that Texas has hidden information about the supplier of the drugs.
U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore ordered the state to disclose, under seal, information regarding its execution drug, finding that Texas had provided information about the process by which the inmates would be executed and "masked information about the product that will kill them."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said the case might be different if the state were using a drug never before used or unheard of, whose efficiency was completely unknown, which was not the case.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-usa-execution-texas-idUSBREA3201F20140403
El Supremo
(20,365 posts)NaturalHigh
(12,778 posts)As far as I know, it hasn't been overturned yet.
warrant46
(2,205 posts)Will continue in the Land of our Lord Jesus Christ A/K/A Texas
Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.
Gen. 9:6
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/topics/d/death-penalty/