Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Judge Halts Execution in Tennessee
A federal judge halted an execution scheduled for Sept. 26 on the grounds that "Tennessee's new lethal injection procedures are cruel and unusual punishment."
Edward Jerome Harbison had been scheduled to die by lethal injection for killing an elderly woman during a robbery in 1983. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger did not stay the execution but mandated the Volunteer State find a constitutional way to execute their felons.
Trauger said that "[t]he protocol 'presents a substantial risk of unnecessary pain' and violates death row inmate Edward Jerome Harbison's constitutional protections under the Eighth Amendment," The Associated Press reports.
In other words, the death sentence can be carried out, Tennessee just has to find a nice painless way to kill the poor sap.
Edward Jerome Harbison had been scheduled to die by lethal injection for killing an elderly woman during a robbery in 1983. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger did not stay the execution but mandated the Volunteer State find a constitutional way to execute their felons.
Trauger said that "[t]he protocol 'presents a substantial risk of unnecessary pain' and violates death row inmate Edward Jerome Harbison's constitutional protections under the Eighth Amendment," The Associated Press reports.
In other words, the death sentence can be carried out, Tennessee just has to find a nice painless way to kill the poor sap.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 9:35 PM 
