Mom sues 'cuz her son wasn't executed quickly enough

[waltappel 1]

From http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/02/execution.suit.ap/index.html

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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- The mother of a condemned inmate whose execution took an hour longer than is typical sued the head of Ohio's prisons on Monday.

It took 90 minutes for Joseph Clark to die during his execution in May.

It took almost 90 minutes to carry out the execution of Joseph Clark in May 2006. The lawsuit, filed in a Cincinnati federal court, said the execution amounted to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. Executions last about 20 minutes on average.

A message seeking comment was left for the prisons department Monday but was not returned.

In a separate lawsuit, a group of 15 inmates are challenging the state's injection process, arguing the procedure may cause prisoners to suffer during an execution.

Prison staff had problems finding a useable vein on Clark, and one vein they did use collapsed. The execution team also apparently tried to administer the lethal drugs through the original IV line by mistake, according to written accounts that the execution team is required to submit.

During the first injection attempt, Clark finally pushed himself up and said, "It don't work."

During the second attempt at finding a vein, he asked, "Can you just give me something by mouth to end this?"

Clark, 57, was sentenced to die in November 1984 for killing gas station attendant David Manning in Toledo.

The problems during the execution led the state to change its lethal injection process to ensure that veins can be found more carefully and quickly to avoid similar delays.

But in May, an execution team again struggled to find veins in another inmate's arm. Christopher Newton died nearly two hours after the scheduled start of his execution.

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I'm sure the suspense was really killing him!

Walt

[Para_Frog 1]

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I'm sure the suspense was really killing him!

Walt

Walt!

- Harvey, BASE 1232
TAN-I, IAD-I, S&TA

BLiNC Magazine Team Member

[BillyVance 34]

This is one dumb-assed lawsuit that deserves to get thrown out.

Inmate had a death sentence, he was going to die, one way or another.

Give me a break!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[waltappel 1]

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This is one dumb-assed lawsuit that deserves to get thrown out.

Inmate had a death sentence, he was going to die, one way or another.

Give me a break!

I have mixed feelings about the death penalty but I definitely don't think it should include physical torture. At worst, this is a case of unintentional psychological torture for someone who was unlucky enough to have bad veins.

Walt

[DZJ 0]

Makes me wonder about the rest of the justice system when the simple matter of offing the guy can't be done without cocking it up. ..

[JohnRich 4]

I guess Mom would prefer that her son be hanged - that's darned quick.

[waltappel 1]

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I guess Mom would prefer that her son be hanged - that's darned quick.

Like most moms, she only wants the best for her son.

Walt

[BillyVance 34]

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I guess Mom would prefer that her son be hanged - that's darned quick.

A bullet to the back of the head is quicker...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Casurf1978 0]

Read up on Albert Pierrepont. He's credited with the fastest execution in British history, I think it was a littler under 7 seconds.

[willard 0]

If states insist upon executions then they should take a serious look at nitrogen. The condemned is placed in a sealed room into which nitrogen is pumped in and all air containing oxygen is pumped out. Death is fairly quick and absolutely painless. Anyone who has passed out from fumes displacing oxygen can attest to how quickly one loses consciousness.

[waltappel 1]

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If states insist upon executions then they should take a serious look at nitrogen. The condemned is placed in a sealed room into which nitrogen is pumped in and all air containing oxygen is pumped out. Death is fairly quick and absolutely painless. Anyone who has passed out from fumes displacing oxygen can attest to how quickly one loses consciousness.

If they want quick, seems like the guillotine would be the ultimate in quick but probably too gruesome for most people.

Walt

[Bdog 0]

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If states insist upon executions then they should take a serious look at nitrogen. The condemned is placed in a sealed room into which nitrogen is pumped in and all air containing oxygen is pumped out. Death is fairly quick and absolutely painless. Anyone who has passed out from fumes displacing oxygen can attest to how quickly one loses consciousness.

or, if the condemned were to chose a state where a better form of execution were used then their demise could be more reliably predicted.
we, as a society, put more effort into the execution of those who have been condemed than they demonstrated towards the feelings of their victims.

_________________________________________

---Future Darwin Award recipient-

[headoverheels 333]

If one doesn't object to death sentences, I don't see why one would object to a bit of pain.

OTOH, I don't see why executions are botched. It is not that difficult.

[waltappel 1]

Agreed. The biggest problem I have with the death penalty is I don't have confidence in the system that hands out that penalty--by that I mean the judicial system. It's widely thought that juries consist of people too stupid to get out of jury duty. I don't necessarily agree with that but it's clear that most people don't have any desire to participate.

Between the apathy that saturates the pool of potential jurors and the games that are played during the whole process, it's very dificult to have confidence in the system. I think "we the people" need to take ownership but am not going to hold my breath until it happens.

Maybe one way to get people to take ownership is to put it in their faces. Put executions on live television--completely unsanitized.

Nah, that would be barbaric.

Walt

[akarunway 1]

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I guess Mom would prefer that her son be hanged - that's darned quick.

Or Gary Gilmore style. As fucked up as he was he took it like a man.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[willard 0]

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If states insist upon executions then they should take a serious look at nitrogen. The condemned is placed in a sealed room into which nitrogen is pumped in and all air containing oxygen is pumped out. Death is fairly quick and absolutely painless. Anyone who has passed out from fumes displacing oxygen can attest to how quickly one loses consciousness.

If they want quick, seems like the guillotine would be the ultimate in quick but probably too gruesome for most people.

Walt

Very quick indeed. When they work properly, that is. Being a mechanical device they were known to mess up on occasion, the gravity powered ones being the worst. Their blades often wouldn't slide smoothly and leave the victim badly mutilated yet still alive. Even when working perfectly the victim's head would sometimes remain conscious for a few brief moments after being severed. Even I feel that is "cruel and unusual".

[piisfish 140]

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If they want quick, seems like the guillotine would be the ultimate in quick

Very quick indeed. When they work properly, that is. Being a mechanical device they were known to mess up on occasion, the gravity powered ones being the worst. Their blades often wouldn't slide smoothly and leave the victim badly mutilated yet still alive. .you just found a new use to 12years old Cypres's

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[kallend 2,105]

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Quote

If states insist upon executions then they should take a serious look at nitrogen. The condemned is placed in a sealed room into which nitrogen is pumped in and all air containing oxygen is pumped out. Death is fairly quick and absolutely painless. Anyone who has passed out from fumes displacing oxygen can attest to how quickly one loses consciousness.

If they want quick, seems like the guillotine would be the ultimate in quick but probably too gruesome for most people.

Walt

www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/Pages/30sec.html

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[GQ_jumper 4]

None of this was done intentionally, I've seen how hard it can be to give an IV on someone with no veins. No one is to blame for this honestly. Unless someone comes forward with clear evidence that they intentionally kept missing the veins.

I wonder how lng it took his victim to die after the attack, maybe this guys mother should consider that.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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I have mixed feelings about the death penalty but I definitely don't think it should include physical torture. At worst, this is a case of unintentional psychological torture for someone who was unlucky enough to have bad veins.

Same thoughts here except I think its more torture for the Mom because for her life not only will she think of her son as the criminal who was put to death, but the one who was still her son and had to die like that. One hour is way to long. I dont know how I feel on the death penalty but if someone doesnt die in reasonable amount of time they should hurry and snap his neck. We dont live in "eye for an eye" times anymore. Sad case, I wouldnt bring a lawsuit but Id definitely be asking for some happy pills to get through the days

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Skyrad 0]

I agree but I don't know why they can't put in a venflon (IV Cannula) the day before flush it before hand and check that it is still patent.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[GQ_jumper 4]

I agree but I don't know why they can't put in a venflon (IV Cannula) the day before flush it before hand and check that it is still patent.

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I agree that there are far better ways to administer it, but I am not willing to let an extra cent of my tax money go towards it. Housing and caring for criminals takes too much of my tax money as it is, if they want more comfortable deaths maybe they should give up all the extra crap that we pay for. Just my opinion, we have honest, hard working people scraping by to pay the bills for their family and criminals get better food and care than they do. I'm sorry for the mother who had to watch but I have no sympathy towards that guy.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

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[BillyVance 34]

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I agree but I don't know why they can't put in a venflon (IV Cannula) the day before flush it before hand and check that it is still patent.

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I agree that there are far better ways to administer it, but I am not willing to let an extra cent of my tax money go towards it. Housing and caring for criminals takes too much of my tax money as it is, if they want more comfortable deaths maybe they should give up all the extra crap that we pay for. Just my opinion, we have honest, hard working people scraping by to pay the bills for their family and criminals get better food and care than they do. I'm sorry for the mother who had to watch but I have no sympathy towards that guy.

Here's my idea of an execution... a good old fashioned ass-stomping in the yard by the rest of the inmates.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[DSE 5]

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If one doesn't object to death sentences, I don't see why one would object to a bit of pain.

OTOH, I don't see why executions are botched. It is not that difficult.

You apparently don't do much work with the government. Making a PBJ sandwich is difficult for them.

[normiss 844]

then save us more money by increasing their pain...life in prison is mental torture and cheaper at the same time...plus if the conviction is botched they can walk away...

"Florida calculated that each execution there costs some $3.18 million. If incarceration is estimated to cost $17000/year, a comparable statistic for life in prison of 40 years would be $680,000."
(The Geography of Execution... The Capital Punishment Quagmire in America, Keith Harries and Derral Cheatwood 1997 p.6)