An Alabama inmate would be the test subject for the “experimental” execution method of nitrogen hypoxia, his lawyers argued, as they asked judges to deny the state’s request to carry out his death sentence using the new method.

In a Friday court filing, attorneys for Kenneth Eugene Smith asked the Alabama Supreme Court to reject the state attorney general’s request to set an execution date for Smith using the proposed new execution method. Nitrogen gas is authorized as an execution method in three states but it has never been used to put an inmate to death.

Smith’s attorneys argued the state has disclosed little information about how nitrogen executions would work, releasing only a redacted copy of the proposed protocol.

  • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The death penalty is already about vengeance and not justice. Removing them from society completely is justice for harming society.

    • OneOrTheOtherDontAskMe@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Removing them painlessly if they’re not able to be rehabilitated, definitely what I would call justice.

      Hanging, shooting, whichever other painful or ‘old world justice’ method, I’m hesitant to call that justice because it causes pain and suffering needlessly. Criminals treat people less than people. People must treat criminals like people, or we’re all criminals.

      • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Why would killing them be more justice than simple removal? Either way they’re out of society.

        Plus, if we accept that laws are not 100% fairly and correctly applied, we get the added benefits of not killing the innocent.