Executions Halted in Ohio

There's something fundamentally wrong with the logic that it's totally humane to kill so long as the victim feels no pain. But if the possibility of pain is going to stop the state of Ohio from killing, so be it.

The governor of Ohio has halted executions in the state three weeks after a prisoner was subjected to a gruelling two hour attempt to kill him by lethal injection.

The governor, Ted Strickland, issued reprieves for two murderers facing imminent execution after a court blocked further attempts to put to death Romell Broom who endured "torture" as nurses repeatedly sought to insert needles into his arms and ankle, puncturing muscle and hitting bone.

Yesterday, a federal court put Broom's execution for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl on hold at least until after a hearing on 30 November. Another court temporarily delayed Thursday's execution of Lawrence Reynolds after his lawyers argued that Ohio's state executioners are incompetent.

Strickland then called off the executions of Reynolds and Darryl Durr at least until next spring while Ohio reviews its procedures for using lethal injections, the second time it has had to do so in the past three years. The state is considering using lethal injections into the bone marrow or muscles of inmates as alternatives to the traditional intravenous procedure.

The governor said he is prepared to halt the execution of a third prisoner, scheduled to be put to death in December, if the problems have not been resolved.

Read more: Ohio governor halts executions

Of course, there has never been anything humane about lethal injection (http://www.ocucc.org/DeathPenalty/Problems.htm) whether you believe in the death penalty or not.

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