Alabama governor asks to pause executions and review system after recent lethal injections halted
CNNNov 22, 2022
Alabama's Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday suspended executions in the state, asked state AG Steve Marshall to withdraw motions seeking dates for the execution of two inmates, and requested for the state Dept. of Corrections to conduct a thorough review of the state’s execution process.
Ivey’s decision comes days after the state abandoned its scheduled execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was reportedly tied to the gurney for four hours while awaiting resolution of a delay over a stay.
It’s about time Alabama put a stop to the madness of these botched executions. It's certain that a review of the process is desperately needed to scrutinize these barbaric capital punishment practices, but it won’t mean much if the review isn’t conducted by an independent entity rather than the Dept. of Corrections itself.
There’s no problem with how the Dept. of Corrections conducts its executions, it’s the courts that are ruining the process. By interfering in the system in an attempt to protect the lives of convicted criminals, people are undermining justice and obstructing executions. Ivey should be confident that any problems do not lie within the Dept. of Corrections.
There is a 50% chance that capital punishment will be legal in at least 41% of US states in 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.