Defense attorneys said the use of ketamine, fentanyl and potassium chloride could cause ‘excruciating suffering’

Utah officials said on Saturday that they are scrapping plans to use an untested lethal drug combination in next month’s planned execution of a man in a 1998 murder case. They will instead seek out a drug that’s been used previously in executions in numerous states.

Defense attorneys for Taberon Dave Honie, 49, had sued in state court to stop the use of the drug combination, saying it could cause the defendant “excruciating suffering”.

The execution scheduled for 8 August would be Utah’s first since the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, by firing squad.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Or maybe the state shouldn’t have the power of life and death over it’s citizens since you can’t unkill an innocent person.

      • Icalasari@fedia.io
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        4 months ago

        Ye. I do think the death penalty has a place, but it’s for the most extreme cases where it is 100% obvious that not only did they do it, but them being alive is a threat

        It happens, but is REALLY rare

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Why would they be more of a threat alive in a supermax prison than dead?

          We seem to think a supermax is fine for the terrorists we don’t execute.

          • Icalasari@fedia.io
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            4 months ago

            Those who inspire just by being alive, leading to concentrated attacks to try to free them, or who can otherwise cause influence due to still being alive (e.g. Dahmer for the latter)

            Exceptionally rare and would be an exception, not the rule

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              What exception would be worse than what any of these people are in prison for?

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_inmates_at_ADX_Florence

              Terry Nichols is in there. He helped kill 168 people in the Oklahoma City Bombing.

              Zacarias Moussaoui is in there. He helped facilitate 9/11. He’s responsible for the deaths of thousands.

              El Chapo is in there. We can’t even count the number of deaths he’s responsible for and we’ll never know.

              None of them are on death row.

              So tell me- what is this exceptionally rare situation that would warrant the death penalty?

              • Icalasari@fedia.io
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                4 months ago

                Honestly, I’d say those should be - absolutely horrific amounts of life lost, and inspire others to try it. It’s probably a topic we’d not convince each other on