Why was the stay granted initially, and what is so troubling about his execution? The issues are not novel: an all-white jury, plus execution drugs made in secret by a compounding pharmacy. The latter issue, though not dealt with today, is repeating itself across the country and raises important issues of cruel and unusual punishment.
Stay Granted
Smulls' counsel, Cheryl Pilate, filed two last-minute challenges to his execution, after the U.S. District Court in Kansas City and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals both denied relief. According to the Associated Press, Gov. Jay Nixon denied clemency on Tuesday evening as well.
That left the conservative Justice Samuel Alito as his last hope. A stay was issued last night, about two hours before his scheduled execution at 12:01 a.m., though the stay did not specify the grounds for the temporary relief. The Court's website notes that both challenges were linked on the docket.
Compounded Drugs
As we saw with Warren Lee Hill, thanks to manufacturers' refusals to supply drugs for executions, states are increasingly and controversially turning to compounding pharmacies for execution drugs. And much like Georgia, Missouri refuses to disclose the name of the compounding pharmacy, arguing that the pharmacist is part of the execution team, and its name cannot be released to the public.
The issues with compounding pharmacies are numerous. For one, a mistake in manufacturing can mean a torturous end, and cruel and unusual punishment for a prisoner. These pharmacies produce custom orders of drugs and are not overseen by the Food and Drug Administration. Plus, according to The Associated Press, the state stores the drug at room temperatures, which can reduce the drug's potency.
continue to read here
Smulls' counsel, Cheryl Pilate, filed two last-minute challenges to his execution, after the U.S. District Court in Kansas City and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals both denied relief. According to the Associated Press, Gov. Jay Nixon denied clemency on Tuesday evening as well.
That left the conservative Justice Samuel Alito as his last hope. A stay was issued last night, about two hours before his scheduled execution at 12:01 a.m., though the stay did not specify the grounds for the temporary relief. The Court's website notes that both challenges were linked on the docket.
Compounded Drugs
As we saw with Warren Lee Hill, thanks to manufacturers' refusals to supply drugs for executions, states are increasingly and controversially turning to compounding pharmacies for execution drugs. And much like Georgia, Missouri refuses to disclose the name of the compounding pharmacy, arguing that the pharmacist is part of the execution team, and its name cannot be released to the public.
The issues with compounding pharmacies are numerous. For one, a mistake in manufacturing can mean a torturous end, and cruel and unusual punishment for a prisoner. These pharmacies produce custom orders of drugs and are not overseen by the Food and Drug Administration. Plus, according to The Associated Press, the state stores the drug at room temperatures, which can reduce the drug's potency.
continue to read here
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