New details are emerging on the botched execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood in Arizona that we discussed earlier. If you recall the horrific scene, Wood took roughly two hours to die. Now it appears that the dosage for the new drugs were way off — requiring the prison to increase the dosage to 25 times what was thought to be necessary.
Wood’s execution was given the green light after the United States Supreme Court overturned a stay of execution that had been granted by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit held that the state had to disclose the drugs and the executioners to be used in his lethal injection — a ruling that now seems prophetic though the matter is under investigation. Arizona has disclosed it uses a combination of midazolam and hydromorphone as well as the planned dosages. However, it would not reveal information about the manufacturers and suppliers of the drugs or details about the qualifications of the state prison employees assigned to the execution.
The prison gave convicted double murderer Joseph Rudolph Wood 50 milligrams each of the sedative midazolam and painkiller hydromorphone, then injected him with that dose 14 more times during the execution, for a total of 750 milligrams. The execution protocol calls for the initial dose, but the corrections director can authorize a second dose if the prisoner is still alive after two or three minutes
The prison still insists that “[Charles Ryan, director of the corrections department], continually conferred with the IV team, and directed additional midazolam and hydromorphone to be administered ensuring the inmate remained deeply sedated throughout the process, and did not endure pain.”
In three other executions using the sedative midazolam, prisoners were seen gasping for air.
What was particularly striking for me is the reference in these reports that a licensed medical doctor was part of the execution team. The AMA has been clear that doctors must not participate in executions:
Opinion 2.06 – Capital Punishment
An individual’s opinion on capital punishment is the personal moral decision of the individual. A physician, as a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, should not be a participant in a legally authorized execution. Physician participation in execution is defined generally as actions which would fall into one or more of the following categories: (1) an action which would directly cause the death of the condemned; (2) an action which would assist, supervise, or contribute to the ability of another individual to directly cause the death of the condemned; (3) an action which could automatically cause an execution to be carried out on a condemned prisoner.
Physician participation in an execution includes, but is not limited to, the following actions: prescribing or administering tranquilizers and other psychotropic agents and medications that are part of the execution procedure; monitoring vital signs on site or remotely (including monitoring electrocardiograms); attending or observing an execution as a physician; and rendering of technical advice regarding execution. In the case where the method of execution is lethal injection, the following actions by the physician would also constitute physician participation in execution: selecting injection sites; starting intravenous lines as a port for a lethal injection device; prescribing, preparing, administering, or supervising injection drugs or their doses or types; inspecting, testing, or maintaining lethal injection devices; and consulting with or supervising lethal injection personnel.
However, it is possible that the doctor was merely part of the team to confirm death, which is allowed under the AMA guidelines. However, that exception also have a condition. The doctor may “certify[] death, provided that the condemned has been declared dead by another person.” The presence of the doctor (who the state will not name) will increase objections from many about such involvement. If the doctor complied with the AMA rules, he or she stood by and offered no advice or assistance as a man slowly died over the course of two hours in front of the doctor.
Source: New York Times
Paul C. Schulte
One of the fascinating things about the human mind is that we really cannot remember pain. We can remember we had it, but we cannot recreate it in our minds.
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Au contraire; that is what the amygdala reminds us of through pulses of fear.
What you describe is a defective amygdala.
Dredd – au contraire – we do not remember the pain.
One question. Did his victim suffer? What makes the killer any better than his victim? Does he have a God given right not to have to suffer?
My solution, sh#% can the intravenous crap, if he/she is deemed guilty, then why leave them in a prison to be left in limbo while they never know when the day will come that they have to die. This to me is the worst form of torture. Take them, put them in front of a firing squad and get it over. Governments are not punished, and this is a government action. If he is innocent, he has nothing to worry about , he just gets to heaven before the rest of us. If he is guilty, then he gets his just deserts from whatever God he claims to worship. I believe we all have to die one way or the other. I am not one to feel sorry for the killer. Accidents happen sometimes and if the person is innocent and a believer, he is better off then the rest of us. Otherwise, well he chose his actions. All of his repeals proved nothing different.
Of course we have some criminals who have no religious beliefs, in which case, would you want to spend the rest of your days in prison not knowing when the day will come for the Govt. to end your life?
For example, …are we to mourn Jodi Aries who slaughtered her boyfriend if she loses her case? I am sorry for her that she chose that path to follow, but we had no control over her actions, it is all on her shoulders. You don’t pay for my mistakes, I do…… and vise- versa for you.
As my granny used to say, you made your bed, now lie in it. You are the only one that can change the outcome. Pretty soon you will have no more chances to rectify the problem so think over what you do carefully. Your decisions put YOU IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN DESTINY………………. In short, It was his decision that put him at the scene of the crime that eventually landed him on that table being executed. Pray for him, that is the best you can do for him and hope the government comes up with a more humane and quick solution to the death penalty. MY OPINION.
Was he really unconscious? If so, why so many additional doses of both drugs? It’s time to quit the madness. End premeditated murder by the state, murder done in our name. Those guilty of heinous acts need to be locked up. When we kill we become like them and when we kill the innocent, we kill a part of our collective soul. Shame on us.
“The Chinese take them to a big stadium, have them knell down and shoot them in the back of the head.”
Open an arena and bring on the hunger games. Winner gets to live in District 13.
George – I have often wished for a do-over button. 🙂
How can one edit a prior post? (e.g. “second sentence” should be “last sentence” in my above, and one clause no verb)
Liquidator,
I have used hypnotic techniques and guided imagery to work with, among others, one terminally ill. He reported no pain. I believe his report (after all, I suggested it) and he did too. [The suggestion when down deep is insta-forget. “Pain? What pain? _Thank you, unconscious for doing the forgetting_”} I personally use this in the dentist’s chair for the occasional headache.]
I am not versed in law even though Uncle, Dad, Sis, and cousins three or four lawyers all.
And, Paul, I’m not sure that insta-killing addresses the second sentence in my post to which you reply. Without the death penalty the rate of innocents who are executed would take a rather deep plunge. That, to me at least (I suppose your mileage may vary), is a rather high price to pay. “Kill some innocents” vs. “Kill no innocents.” Call me an extremist if you must but I favor the latter.
George – if you are concerned about the price of killing people or putting them on death row, some countries are much faster to the execution. I think we take too long (although if my neck was at risk I am not sure I would say that). The Chinese take them to a big stadium, have them knell down and shoot them in the back of the head.
There are other ways to address saving the innocents. One would be to get rid of the prosecutors office. Attorneys would both prosecute and defend like they do in the UK. Your salary would not depend on your success rate. It would be a flat fee for each case.
Police who are found to have lied would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Forensics would be put in its own place, an aid not a science. And forensic experts would no longer be considered experts.
I think they should go to Nitrogen Gas as the lethal substance. No gagging, pass out and die from oxygen deprivation.
I’m sure the victims of the condemned suffered more.
As much as I’ve been a supporter of the death penalty in the past, I’m starting to rethink my position. Prosecutors and police seem to be putting much to heavy of an emphasis on gaining convictions and not seeking the truth or justice. When you see a DA’s office like those in North Carolina and Brooklyn, it doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy for the ethics or priorities of our justice system. Add to that the continued misapplication of science in places like the FBI and state crime labs, the downright criminal underfunding of our public defender system, and the thought that the truth is reached and justice is served is slipping away.
It might be time end the death penalty. If I had to choose, I’d rather compensate an unjustly convicted person than the family of a dead innocent.
George;
As one who has volunteered with the terminally ill at times, witnessing the convulsions while (purportedly) unconscious; I beg to differ with your findings of facts as dispositive.
There are many cases of persons reporting being conscious and not feeling pain. Also cases of being (purportedly) unconscious; but feeling extreme pain.
Drugs reduce muscle movement, consciousness, memory, breathing etc. With much debate (and instruction) to anesthesiologists on learning/experiencing.
A basic legal standard is NO one can argue what goes on;
in another’s mind.
It is impossible to prove such.
http://www.anesthesiaweb.org/awareness.php
Making a claim against the British? You were kidding, right?
Either we have or we don’t have the death penalty. Either way we are our own god. What amazes me is the circus of ineptitude that surrounds the issue, both legal and at the time the task is undertaken. It is hard to understand why we cannot simply and quickly end the life condemned. A bullet to the back of the head, a rod fired into the brain, there must be many other humane ways to perform this act other than the tragic opera of needles, and gurneys which should be definitive but seems to be beyond the abilities of today’s performers.
be = by
Paul C. Schulte
If there is any claim to be made it is against the British who refuse to sell the effective lethal cocktail to the United States. Any so-called ‘pain and suffering’ is on them.
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The front fell off our scientific abilities I suppose:
Oh, and by the way, it would be cheaper and simpler to abolish the death penalty. No 20-year costly appeals. No cases of innocent persons killed before their innocence proven.
George – we could save tons of money be just executing them immediately after sentencing.
This is another reason why I, personally, am against the death penalty. However, from what I’ve read, he probably didn’t feel any pain, and the sounds he made were in all probability snores caused by apnea. Nonetheless, I would rather see a person locked away from all people and given the chance to repent for his wrong doing.
As a supporter of the Innocence Project and one who was with the Troy Davis efforts early on (and my dearest case of Cameron Todd Willingham) – this Arizona debacle just serves as another supportive fact for ending the death penalty
World Wide!
George – you need to check the facts of feeling pain – unconsciously!
Liquidator,
“Feeling” and “unconsciously” don’t blend.
Sensing pain is done by the conscious. That is the very point of anesthesia. Pain felt only by the unconscious and forgotten is no pain at all. Remembered pain (as in some cases of light anesthesia) is the problem here. The condemned will never be conscious of any unconscious pain. Dead men have no memory.
Here’s one guaranteed not cruel. Ever been a blood donor? Set the condemned up for donation and have him donate 7 liters.
One of the fascinating things about the human mind is that we really cannot remember pain. We can remember we had it, but we cannot recreate it in our minds.
As long as the person never wakes up during the procedure he never feels pain whether it takes 3 seconds or 3 hours.
As long as the condemned is rendered unconscious before use of something (anything) to kill him there is no cruelty nor pain.
Perhaps it might be unusual to knock him out with Propofol and administer a paralytic, but it would not be cruel. Unusual, but not cruel.
If there is any claim to be made it is against the British who refuse to sell the effective lethal cocktail to the United States. Any so-called ‘pain and suffering’ is on them.