Florida Lethal Injections, Murders Put on Hold
by Scott Ott

(2006-12-16) — After a botched execution that took 34 minutes to end a convicted murderer’s life, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has suspended all death sentences until a commission can review lethal-injection procedures “to ensure they don’t inflict cruel and unusual punishment on their helpless victims.”

In a gesture of goodwill, Florida’s leading association of murderers also announced a temporary hold on premeditated and/or serial killings as well as brutal rapes, according to a spokesman, “until we can determine if some of our victims experience discomfort or pain.” ...

Botched execution causes Fla. to suspended all
Ian Schwartz

Botched, like John Kerry’s joke:

Jeb Bush suspended all executions in Florida after a medical examiner said Friday that prison officials botched the insertion of the needles when a convicted killer was put to death earlier this week—suspended all executions in Florida after a medical examiner said Friday that prison officials botched the insertion of the needles when a convicted killer was put to death earlier this week.—

As a result of the chemicals going into Diaz’s arms around the elbow, he had an 12-inch chemical burn on his right arm and an 11-inch chemical burn on his left arm, Hamilton said.

Aww, what a shame. You know what the convicted killer could have done to prevent this so-called botched execution? Wait. Wait. Not murder someone. ...

***

Let God Sort ‘Em Out
Craig C.

The headline of this story is “Official Says Fla. Execution Was Botched.” Well, excuse me, but no, no it wasn’t.  Is the creep dead?   ...

***

Dafydd has an excellent related post here.

***

An Analysis of Judge Fogel’s “Memorandum of Intended Decision” Regarding California’s Lethal Injection Protocol
Patterico

This is my promised analysis of Judge Fogel’s preliminary opinion finding constitutional flaws in California’s execution protocol.

As I said yesterday, I am not impressed by the decision. In my judgment, the judge is stretching to find a constitutional violation where none has been proved.

My primary problem with the decision is that the judge flips the burden of proof, without admitting that he is doing so. He acknowledges that the plaintiff has failed to make a case that California’s execution protocol is routinely subjecting inmates to an unconstitutional level of pain. But he blames the defendants for the plaintiff’s lack of evidence, and thus shifts the burden of proof to the defendants — without saying that this is what he is doing, or undergoing the rigorous legal analysis necessary to do so.

What did the defendants do to deserve having the burden of proof shifted? The argument is less than compelling. ...

***

Beldar's postz here and here are also very worthy reading.