The department that executes Arizona's death-row inmates in Florence has loosened requirements for those who inject the lethal drugs, drawing concern from a defense attorney who says his repeated questions over new procedures aren't being answered.
In its new protocol to conduct executions, the Arizona Department of Corrections removed a requirement that everyone on the execution team needs to have at least one year of current experience with starting intravenous lines. Now, those on the team don't need to have recent experience, just experience -- meaning someone who started IV lines 20 years ago would be eligible to conduct executions for the department.
Without knowing the qualifications of those conducting the executions and with other unanswered questions about procedures, defense attorneys say death row inmates' constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment are at risk.
Source: AZcentral.com, January 30, 2012
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Jan 22, 2012
The qualifications of the medical team and other aspects of the way Arizona conducts its execution were the subject of a recent lawsuit filed by Baich arguing the state's execution practices violate constitutional protections...
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