Ohio Judge Bars Executions Using Three-Drug Cocktail, Orders Substitute

Death Penalty

Ohio Judge Bars Executions Using Three-Drug Cocktail, Orders Substitute

Posted Jun 11, 2008, 06:26 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Citing a state law, an Ohio judge has barred executions in the state using a three-drug cocktail similar to the one upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge James Burge of Elyria ordered the state to substitute a single large dose of barbiturate, the New York Times reports. The execution method is similar to the protocol used in animal euthanasia.

The story says Burge appeared to concede that the state’s three-drug cocktail would be upheld under the Supreme Court’s decision, Baze v. Rees. Instead he based his ruling on a state law requiring executioners to use “a drug or combination of drugs of sufficient dosage to quickly and painlessly cause death.”

Experts told the Times that Burge is the first judge to require a single-injection of a sedative.

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Posted by Off2DR - 3 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 4 hours, 20 minutes ago

There is nothing in the three drug combination that would cause them to be “tortured” as the aclu likes to claim. Just follow Texas’ lead. I have personally witnessed an execution in Texas and he simply just drifted off to sleep.

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Posted by Edward C Weber - 3 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 14 minutes ago

The judge is trying to put lipstick on a pig. Frankly I don’t feel the goverment has the moral authority to put someone to death.

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