State's execution team resigns because of legal challenge
Apparently fearing their identities would be revealed, four individuals who administered lethal injections to death-row inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla have resigned.
The resignations were precipitated by an ongoing court battle, where three inmates are challenging the constitutionality of Washington's lethal injection policy.
Convicted murderer Cal Coburn Brown was scheduled to die by lethal injection on March 13, 2009. Responding to an 11th hour appeal, the Washington State Supreme Court stayed Brown’s execution while the constitutionality of lethal injection is resolved in Brown's case and two other related matters.
According to the Seattle Times, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham had set April 2 as the deadline for the execution team to release records detailing the members' experience and qualifications.
The state is now without a team to administer lethal injections, although there are no scheduled executions, and the last one occurred in 2001.
The three death row inmates are challenging the state's lethal injection practices, arguing that the procedure can result in extreme pain for the condemned, and thus violates the state and federal prohibitions. Thurston County Superior Court is scheduled to hear arguments in this matter May 2009.
