A federal judge on Saturday issued an injunction blocking Arkansas from its rush to carry out 6 executions in less than two weeks, siding with the plaintiffs who argued that the “assembly line” killings could subject inmates to a torturous and botched execution.
Eight inmates were initially slated for the mass execution, set to begin on Monday, but on Friday the Arkansas Supreme Court granted an emergency stay in the scheduled execution of 60-year-old Bruce Earl Ward. Last week, a federal judge issued a stay on the execution of inmate Jason McGehee after the parole board recommended he be eligible for clemency.
Judge Kristine G. Baker of Federal District Court in Little Rock issued the 101-page order on Saturday morning. In her ruling, she argued that the state’s reliance on the execution drug midazolam threatens the plaintiffs constitutional rights.
“The state of Arkansas does not intend to torture plaintiffs to death,” Baker wrote. “However, the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment is not limited to inherently barbaric punishments. A condemned prisoner can successfully challenge the method of his or her execution by showing that the state’s method ‘creates a demonstrated risk of severe pain’ and ‘the risk is substantial when compared to the known and available alternatives.'”
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT