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The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 4 reversed a lower court’s ruling that Missouri’s lethal injection procedure constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The appellate decision allows Missouri to resume executions of condemned prisoners, which have been on hold since February 2006.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan Jr. found Missouri’s execution protocols to be haphazard, potentially subjecting inmates to unnecessary pain. He ordered changes in the procedure, including requiring an anesthesiologist to supervise executions. The state, however, was unable to find a qualified doctor who wanted the job.
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