AZ CA TN GA gone to the black market for discontinued drug used to execute prisoners
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The immediate impact of the federal shortage of sodium thiopental is minimal. A lawsuit challenging the federal government's injection procedures is pending, and the U.S. government has not executed anyone since 2003. The letter didn't explain how the government ran out of the drug, but all remaining supplies of it expire this year.
Some states, including Arizona, California, Georgia and Tennessee, have obtained supplies of sodium thiopental from England, although the British government has since banned its export for use in executions.
In February, death row inmates in Arizona, California and Tennessee sued the Food and Drug Administration to block imports of the drug. The lawsuit claims the FDA has knowingly allowed state corrections officials to import sodium thiopental that has not been approved by the agency.
States wrote U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in January asking for help obtaining sodium thiopental. The anesthetic is used by virtually all death penalty states, but supplies ran short when its U.S. manufacturer stopped production.
"At the present time, the federal government does not have any reserves of sodium thiopental for lethal injections and is therefore facing the same dilemma as many states," Holder said in a March 4 letter sent to the National Association of Attorneys General and obtained by The Associated Press.
Holder said the lack of an available supply of sodium thiopental "is a serious concern."
Justice Department spokeswoman Alisa Finelli said the agency had no comment.
The states that signed the January letter asking Holder for help are: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) —
Oklahoma and Ohio have switched to pentobarbital, a surgical sedative, as an alternative. Oklahoma uses it along with drugs to paralyze inmates and stop their hearts. Ohio uses it alone.
The drug was used Thursday to kill death row inmate Johhnie Baston, who died 13 minutes after executioners started the injection. Baston, 37, briefly gasped and appeared to grimace, but the moment passed quickly and he lay still for most of the process. Baston was convicted of killing Chong-Hoon Mah, 53, a South Korean immigrant whose family opposes the death penalty and was against Baston's execution.
Some states, including Arizona, California, Georgia and Tennessee, have obtained supplies of sodium thiopental from England, although the British government has since banned its export for use in executions.
In February, death row inmates in Arizona, California and Tennessee sued the Food and Drug Administration to block imports of the drug. The lawsuit claims the FDA has knowingly allowed state corrections officials to import sodium thiopental that has not been approved by the agency.
States wrote U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in January asking for help obtaining sodium thiopental. The anesthetic is used by virtually all death penalty states, but supplies ran short when its U.S. manufacturer stopped production.
"At the present time, the federal government does not have any reserves of sodium thiopental for lethal injections and is therefore facing the same dilemma as many states," Holder said in a March 4 letter sent to the National Association of Attorneys General and obtained by The Associated Press.
Holder said the lack of an available supply of sodium thiopental "is a serious concern."
Justice Department spokeswoman Alisa Finelli said the agency had no comment.
The states that signed the January letter asking Holder for help are: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) —
Oklahoma and Ohio have switched to pentobarbital, a surgical sedative, as an alternative. Oklahoma uses it along with drugs to paralyze inmates and stop their hearts. Ohio uses it alone.
The drug was used Thursday to kill death row inmate Johhnie Baston, who died 13 minutes after executioners started the injection. Baston, 37, briefly gasped and appeared to grimace, but the moment passed quickly and he lay still for most of the process. Baston was convicted of killing Chong-Hoon Mah, 53, a South Korean immigrant whose family opposes the death penalty and was against Baston's execution.
