And the world record for "most botched execution" goes to...

[Tellos Athenaios]

... Arizona.

Seriously, though, a few questions:

• Why on earth is prison officials concocting their particular home brew of chemicals considered a fine and dandy idea? Which is what they're really doing, now that companies vote with their wallet by not selling to prisons anymore.
• Why is there no proper testing? With the gas chamber you used to at least test the thing for leaks regularly so it would be effective; but as far as I am aware the patients are really also the guinea pigs. Moreover it does not appear adequate data is obtained from these live tests. At least the Japanese had the saving grace of properly documenting their findings.
• Where is our cynical doctor when you need him?

This mess kinda underscores the arguments against the death penalty, doesn't it? Especially those of the "even if your justice system were perfect (ha, as if) the death penalty is still an exceedingly bad idea from a practical standpoint" variety.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The whole thing was.....poorly executed.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Punning aside, the death penalty is not necessary for public protection.

If you insist on doing so, the guillotine, long-drop hanging, and multiple live-round firing squads really do outstrip the others for brevity of suffering.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Punning aside, the death penalty is not necessary for public protection.

If you insist on doing so, the guillotine, long-drop hanging, and multiple live-round firing squads really do outstrip the others for brevity of suffering.

Killing someone is terrible - lethal injection is couched as a medical procedure, it's their to make it nicer for the state, not the sentenced.

Poleaxe or go home.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Didn't I just say in another thread those people were not civilized? Arizona is not civilized. I expect all of you to go back and thank that post of mine.

[rvg]

They should have just hanged that guy. Cheap, efficient, reliable. Nice and snappy.

[Sp4]

What happened? The fuse blew out? The gas valve was stuck?

[Fisherking]

I think the problem was that you just can’t get good poison any more.

Actually there was something about the European pharmaceutical firms unwilling to sell them products for executions.

There was another prisoner scheduled for execution a few hours after this guy. They gave him a stay of two weeks while they fix the problem.

On a note of grim humor however, you might call it karma for this dude.

Did you look at what he had been convicted of? I would think burial alive would cause a bit of suffering and emotional distress too.

[Fragony]

The method being flawed doesn't say anything about the sentence itselve. Not going to take a position in it but if it HAS to be done and I would have to be subject to it I would prefer being executed the Saudi way, head-> bye. As for the penalty itself, I think it should be an option that must be very carefully used. But some just deserve it, take that Breivik guy, how does he not deserve anything else. He probably wants it anyway, kill that thing.

[HoreTore]

But some just deserve it, take that Breivik guy, how does he not deserve anything else.

Fortunately, we're a bit more civilized up here....

Anyway, why the Saudi's? Robespierre is the gold standard of executions.

[drone]

They should just use nitrogen and be done with it. If it's acceptable to dope up the condemned with opiates, why not the narcosis high from nitrogen?

[Fragony]

Fortunately, we're a bit more civilized up here....

Probably the worst thing that ever happened to that bastard. Humiliation complete.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

It is more expensive, on average, to house a prisoner for life than to execute them. I agree that the death penalty, of itself, is no longer necessary to protect society. If the death penalty truly were a deterrent, that might be one thing, but history shows us that that is not the case.