Alabama sets a date to execute a death row inmate by nitrogen gas, governor says, a method never used in the US

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Alabama has scheduled the nation’s first execution by nitrogen hypoxia, an alternative to lethal injection, its Republican governor said.

Kenneth Eugene Smith’s execution by lethal injection was abruptly canceled in November after the state couldn’t properly set the IV line before the warrant for execution expired. He asked the state to be put to death by nitrogen gas rather than lethal injection after what he called a botched execution.

Smith’s execution now is set to take place between January 25 and 26, according to a news release from Gov. Kay Ivey.

Death by nitrogen hypoxia deprives the brain and body of oxygen, so the inmate would die by suffocation, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit that monitors, analyzes and disseminates information about capital punishment.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-sets-date-first-ever-030347634.html

[DFW]

1. Just to be sure it is painless and humane, I suggest they give it a trial run.

They should try it out on the governor who approved it.

If it turns out to indeed be painless and humane, then they can proceed.

[lastlib]

2. I second that!

We can't be using methods that don't work properly--it needs to be tested on a human subject before we go using it on prisoners......

[Disaffected]

3. I don't have a cite but,

I believe it already has been in effect, more than once, by accidental nitrogen asphyxiation. IIRC, some of the victims were revived after falling into unconsciousness and were so able to describe the experience.

[jmowreader]

5. It has been "tested" accidentally many, many times

In industry nitrogen is considered the most dangerous gas of all. People entering confined spaces without forced air respirators, and people who have been in areas of a nitrogen leak, have been killed by it. And it works FAST. It is a completely painless death. The gas displaces oxygen below the point you need to live, and you just die.

I’ll put it as coldly as I can: if they were to build a gas chamber, fill it with nitrogen and have two guards wearing firefighter SCBAs lead him into the chamber to be strapped into a chair for his execution, he wouldn’t make it to the chair. However, I suspect they’ll use an oxygen mask for it.

If your population is so bloodthirsty they demand capital punishment this is the method to use. It can’t be botched, it’s painless, it’s quick and any welding supply store in America has nitrogen.

[lastlib]

6. Well and good, but....

...they didn't *test* it on the Alabama governor who approved this barbaric punishment. Until they do, I vote that they can't use it on prisoners.

(In case there is any doubt, I am an ARDENT opponent of the death penalty.....)

[jmowreader]

7. Oh, come on

The most barbaric capital punishment method we've come up with yet is lethal injection. ANYTHING has got to be better.

My PERSONAL choice if I could select a method of capital punishment would be guillotining with the requirement that the judge, prosecutors and jury who served on the trial attend the execution. In France they WANTED to get rid of capital punishment long before they did but the public was in favor of it, so instead of moving to lethal injection they kept the guillotine. After a decade of no one being able to bring him- or herself to vote to cut someone's head off they just quietly retired capital punishment. Mandating the guillotine gets rid of the "oh, he'll just drift off to sleep and never wake up" fantasy lethal injection provides and replaces it with "If I vote to approve capital punishment for this person I'm going to have to stand there and watch him be cut in two; I can't do that."

[dutch777]

4. Naw! Here's a place that Trump can LEAD!