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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 6 June 2018

Court filing: Arkansas' 2017 executions unveiled problems

By KELLY P. KISSEL been anesthetized or
Associated Press paralyzed," lawyers for
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — the inmates wrote, citing
Eighteen condemned witness accounts from
inmates say in new court various media, including
filings that the executions The Associated Press.
of four men in Arkansas last "During Kenneth Williams'
year exposed problems that execution, Williams
should render the state's began bucking against
lethal injection procedure his restraints so hard that
unconstitutional. it caused bruising to his
The prisoners late Monday head."
asked a federal judge to let Jack Jones' lips continued
them amend a lawsuit filed to move after he made a
after Arkansas scheduled final statement, and five
eight executions in an 11- minutes into his execution
day period last year. Four his lips moved another
inmates from the original three to five times, the
lawsuit were put to death, lawyers said, citing an AP
three received stays and report. In this April 13, 2017, file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson prepares for a TV interview
Gov. Asa Hutchinson The amended lawsuit, regarding Arkansas' execution schedule at the governor's mansion in Little Rock.
granted clemency to one. which must be accepted Associated Press
The inmates initially by U.S. District Judge Kristine
claimed Arkansas' use Baker, says it was never prisoner is insensate to "The person has the desire declared unconstitutional
of the surgical sedative clear whether the Arkansas pain," the lawyers wrote. to breathe but no ability to and the Arkansas attorney
midazolam might expose Department of Correction Arkansas uses midazolam do so," the lawyers wrote. general's office said
them to excruciating pain followed its guidelines. The to sedate inmates at the "Once the paralysis is total, Tuesday that this year's
because it couldn't render lawyers say there was no start of its executions. The the recipient is unable to effort would fail, too.
them unconscious before way to tell when each drug lawyers said late Monday it communicate and feels as "The death row inmates'
two other drugs stopped was administered and that would be unconstitutionally if he has been buried alive." proposed amended
their lungs and hearts. The it wasn't clear an attendant cruel to subsequently shut The inmates' lawyers said a complaint is yet another
revised lawsuit says the performed proper down the inmates' lungs firing squad, an overdose attempt to delay justice
four executions last year consciousness checks on and hearts if the prisoners of pentobarbital or the for the victims and their
support their view. each inmate. weren't unconscious. The anesthetic gas sevoflurane families," Jessica Ray, a
"During several of "The consciousness check second drug in a three- might be better options. spokeswoman for the
the executions, the is necessary to discern drug sequence paralyzes Courts last year rejected attorney general, said in an
condemned moved awareness but insufficient inmates, rendering them the inmates' effort to have email.
when they should have to determine whether the unable to cry out. the midazolam protocol q