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State execution team resigns due to lethal injection litigation

By Douglas A. Berman

At least in Washington state, it appears that when the litigation going gets tough, the not-so-tough resign.  That's what I take away from this local story, headlined "State's execution team resigns, fearing identities would be revealed."  Here are the basics: Four people who have volunteered to administer lethal injections to death-row inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla quit their positions this week, apparently worried that their identities could become public as a result of an ongoing court case to decide whether lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.  The four resigned Tuesday, which was the deadline Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham had set for the team's records -- detailing the members' credentials, qualifications and experience in administering lethal drugs -- to be submitted for his review...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 03, 2009 (boomark / email).