Alabama Execution May Have Taken Longer Than Any in Recorded U.S. History
An examination by the human rights organization Reprieve US estimates that it took Alabama officials between three and three and a half hours to carry out the lethal injection of Joe Nathan James Jr last month, a duration that the organization argues violates constitutional protections against inhumane punishments.
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An examination by the human rights organization Reprieve US estimates that it took Alabama officials between three and three and a half hours to carry out the lethal injection of Joe Nathan James Jr. last month, a duration that the organization argues violates constitutional protections against inhumane punishments and may represent the longest death penalty procedure in recorded American history, reports The Guardian.
James was supposed to be put to death at 6 p.m. on July 28, but it wasn’t until about 9 p.m. that media witnesses were allowed to enter the execution chamber. Then, it wasn’t until 9.27 p.m. that officials pronounced him dead. State officials insisted in a statement that “there was nothing out of the ordinary” despite facing questions about the lengthy delay. But later, they modified their statement to say James’ executioners had experienced trouble establishing the intravenous lines carrying the lethal drugs.
