New California plan calls for single-drug executions; drug to be chosen on 'case-by-case' basis
California’s governor on Friday announced a plan for a new single-drug execution protocol in death-penalty cases.
It would replace a three-drug lethal cocktail that has been the subject of court challenges throughout the country. In California, the three-drug approach was struck down by a federal judge in 2006 as inhumane, reports the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.).
However, the new protocol is almost certain to be challenged in court as well, so resumption of executions in the state isn’t likely anytime soon, the newspaper points out.
The proposed protocol says the state can use any one of four barbiturate drugs—amobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital or thiopental. The actual drug used would be chosen on a “case-by-case basis, taking into account changing factors such as the availability of a supply of chemical.”
