Supreme Court rules in favor of lethal injection drug

[MiaCulpa]

Trading sharp words, a deeply divided Supreme Court upheld the use of a controversial drug in lethal-injection executions Monday, even as two dissenting justices said for the first time they think it's "highly likely" the death penalty itself is unconstitutional.

On their last day together until the fall, the justices voted 5-4 in a case from Oklahoma that the sedative midazolam can be used in executions without violating the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

The court also divided 5-4 in cases upholding congressional districts drawn by independent commissions and calling into question first-ever limits on mercury emissions from power plants. In addition, the justices also agreed to hear an important affirmative action case in the fall.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/938fdd2e1bc74a0582b941fc125dff3d/justices-uphold-use-drug-implicated-botched-executions

Justice Elena Kagan contended that the way states carry out most executions amounts to having prisoners "burned alive from the inside."

I hope we will see this issue argued again in the Supreme Court soon, especially in light of so many recent cases of death row inmates being cleared of the crimes that sent them to prison in the first place.

[randys1]

1. Death penalty is needed by immature people.