Supreme Court rejects Alabama's bid to use lethal injection against inmate's wishes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alabama's bid to execute a death row inmate by lethal injection, leaving in place a lower court ruling that his preference for lethal gas is a viable alternative method.

Kenneth Smith, sentenced to death for murdering Elizabeth Sennett in 1988, objected to being executed by lethal injection because of the pain it would cause. He alleged it would violate his right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. Smith suggested lethal gas be used instead.

The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Smith in November, saying that because the state has approved use of lethal gas, Smith could seek an alternative method of execution.

The appeals court ruling was issued the same day the state unsuccessfully sought to execute Smith by lethal injection. Officials called off the execution after struggling to insert an intravenous line before the death warrant expired at midnight. The Supreme Court, which regularly allows executions to take place, had earlier allowed the execution to proceed. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have ruled in favor of the state.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-alabamas-bid-use-lethal-injection-inmates-wishes-rcna75997

[JT45242]

1. Nitrogen hypoxia

How to kill a human being (BBC) [COMPLETE IN A SINGLE FILE] - Vimeo https://vimeo.com/83750163

This documentary from a few years ago argues that nitrogen induced hypoxia is the most humane method.

I of course would argue against the death penalty at all, but this would be the most humane method.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. They used to use hydrogen cyanide gas

and apparently AZ still does.

[MutantAndProud]

4. Agreed on both points

I am not in favor of hydrogen cyanide, I believe that would cause a painful sensation of suffocation instead of simply drifting off with nitrogen.

Hydrogen cyanide, used in Nazi extermination facilities and concentration camps like Auschwitz, also went by the name Zyklon-B. I’m sure the continued use in the Deep South is totally coincidence…

Apparently Zyklon is German for cyclone… for other RW references that align for Nazi ideology (see the swastika pattern for example) you can also look for references to things like ‘the coming storm’ and their eponymous stormtroopers.

What I’m getting at here is that some people not only want genocide of undesirables and barely any limit on the death penalty, but that many also want it to be painful.

[marble falls]

3. This argument is just so unseemly. I just can't even think of how other nations feel about this ...

... that is all other nations but: Russia, China, N Korea, various middle east asian countries ... some mix of friends we got there regarding imprisoning and murdering one's own citizens.

[GB_RN]

5. State Sanctioned Revenge/Murder...

What good does it do? It does not bring back the victim(s). The psychological harm it does to the people who have to perform the execution is documented (which is why people are rotated or multiple switches are used and no one knows which one is the “kill switch”, etc).

There are (lots of good) reasons that most civilized countries have eliminated the death penalty. And it says a lot about the US that we stand with China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, etc., in continuing the barbarity. And none of what it says is good.


Just my 2 cents.