Supreme Court lethal injection ruling allows further questionable executions Commentary
Supreme Court lethal injection ruling allows further questionable executions
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Richard C. Dieter [Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center]: "The Supreme Court's decision in Baze v. Rees on April 16, 2008, approving Kentucky's lethal injection process [Hotline archive] opened the door to a resumption of executions. Since the decision, six executions have taken place, all in the south and all by lethal injection. Many of these cases raised questions that have continuously accompanied the death penalty: charges of racism, inadequate representation and mental illness. Two commutations were granted, one in Georgia and one in Virginia, but over 20 other executions are scheduled between now and October.

The next execution is likely to be in Texas where Charles Hood is scheduled to die on June 17. His attorneys have filed an appeal with new information that the judge and the prosecutor at the original trial were having an affair, creating a serious conflict of interest. The appeal was filed with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which recently established a Criminal Justice Integrity Unit, and a request for a reprieve has been sent to the governor."

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