Ellington

The New York Times is reporting that the electric chair is "cruel and unusual punishment," suspending executions there until the state can find a more humane way to kill prisoners:

The electric chair is cruel and unusual punishment, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday, effectively suspending executions in the only state that made sole use of the practice, once the dominant form of execution in the United States. The court, in a 6-to-1 decision, ruled that electrocution, the only method of execution used in the state, violates the state constitution. "The evidence shows that electrocution inflicts intense pain and agonizing suffering," Justice William Connolly wrote for the majority.

The state's attorney general, Jon Bruning, said he would "move to the legislative process to get a new method of execution." Working on a clean slate, Nebraska may opt for a form of lethal injection that does not rely on the combination of three chemicals that is the subject of a pending challenge in the United States Supreme Court. Indeed, it may explore entirely different methods of executions.

Previous Comments

ID

98353

Comment

I had no idea that any state was still using the electric chair until today when I heard about this on the news. Sick.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-02-08T17:14:32-06:00

ID

98354

Comment

The method is not in question, it's why we still have State sponsored killing.... Given the number of inoccent people incarcerated and released, can anybody feel confident that the State (us) hasen't killed an inoccent person? I'm with the Spencer family, death is to easy.... 23 hours a day @ Parchmen on an August day, got to be worse..... and maybe we might not kill an innocent person and right a wrong.... I know given the horrific nature of some crimes it screams for capital punishment, but I got to think, there are some things worse than death...

Author

Doc Rogers

Date

2008-02-08T21:44:49-06:00

ID

98355

Comment

Doc, I'm against the death penalty also. I'm just surprised that the electric chair was still being used. I thought those things were long gone.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-02-08T22:26:31-06:00

ID

98356

Comment

And, of course, you get the chorus of boos from those who support capital punishment and who don't care how prisoners are executed, just as long as they are. I'm with Doc, it's capital punishment overall I have a problem with. Given that our justice system doesn't get it right all the time (ask Cedric Willis), how can we put our trust in a system to mete out the ultimate justice? What if even one of the death-row inmates in Illinois that were freed due to Northwestern University students uncovering evidence proving their innocence would've been executed? We can't go back and says "Oops, life goes on" and try to make sure that the next dead man walking is truly guilty before executing him. I believe a innocent man or woman will be executed, if it hasn't already happened. When this happens, then we truly need to reexamine our quest for justice and thirst for revenge.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-02-08T22:27:19-06:00

ID

98357

Comment

Oh, I guess the guy that just threw his 3 month old baby out of the car and smashed him with his foot until he died deserves to just rot for life? Whatever! Or we should just blame crack for the guy that threw 4 children off the Mobile Bay bridge to their death. Color me bad, but it is time we started weeding out the F-up's in this world. Don't F%$# with children or elderly. That is all....

Author

pikersam

Date

2008-02-09T15:28:01-06:00

ID

98358

Comment

From here: 9 states allow execution by electrocution: however, two of those states only allow it if lethal injection is ever found to be unconstitutional. That's scary to me.

Author

Lady Havoc

Date

2008-02-11T16:28:35-06:00

ID

98359

Comment

Nine states? I thought "The Green Mile" was over.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-02-11T20:49:14-06:00