Fla. Inmate Who Had Won Stay Is Executed [Clarence Hill]

AP ^ | 9/20/6 | RON WORD

[SmithL]

Starke -- A convicted killer who argued that Florida's use of lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment was put to death Wednesday night after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly denied him another stay.

Clarence Hill, 48, was executed for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer in a savings and loan robbery. He did not reply when asked if he had a last statement, staring straight at the ceiling.

Hill had argued that the three chemicals used in Florida executions and by many other states — sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain. The first drug is a painkiller. The second one paralyzes the inmate and the third causes a fatal heart attack.

In January, Hill was strapped to a gurney and his arms were hooked up to IV tubes before the Supreme Court stopped his execution. In June, in a 9-0 vote, the high court ruled that Hill could mount a challenge to the chemicals under a civil rights motion.

However, a district court in Tallahassee and an appeals court in Atlanta refused to hear those challenges, ruling that Hill should have filed earlier. An appeal was again filed with the Supreme Court, which voted 5-4 on Wednesday to deny another stay.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens voted to grant the stay, the court said in a two-sentence order.

[SmithL]

Say hey to Tookie!

[SmithL]

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens

This is why we should never allow the loss of the Senate. Even a RINO will vote for Cloture.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

What did he have to say about how much it hurt after he died?

[nmh]

"Starke -- A convicted killer who argued that Florida's use of lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment was put to death Wednesday night after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly denied him another stay."

He should have thought about that BEFORE he murdered a police officer.

[verum ago]

!!!
my thought exactly

[COEXERJ145]

Well, on Monday there will be one in Texas we can ask. LOL!

[Just Lori]

People have undergone all kinds of surgeries under Pentothal. They should have left that particular drug OUT of the cop killer's IV.

[The Brush]

sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain.

Too bad he was wrong.
Did this guy expect to die laughing?

[TNCMAXQ]

What is more cruel, to do the executing, or let the guy come to within hours or minutes and then say "surprise," you've got a reprieve?! I say just put them to death ASAP.

[OldFriend]

GOOD RIDDANCE

[BipolarBob]

They should have left that particular drug OUT of the cop killer's IV.

Are you suggesting make the first two saline solutions and the last one Drano? Wait!! Don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question.

[montag813]

executed for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer in a savings and loan robbery

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.

PUT AN END TO ENDLESS DEATH ROW APPEALS NOW!

[nmh]

"What is more cruel, to do the executing, or let the guy come to within hours or minutes and then say "surprise," you've got a reprieve?! I say just put them to death ASAP."

I have NO sympathy for a murderer. That officer murdered by him had no choice, no stay, nothing. This creep eeked out a cowardly "reprieve". They should have punished him long ago - execution and stop wasting tax payer dollars and running up legal bills.

[montag813]

Hill had argued that the three chemicals used in Florida executions and by many other states can cause excruciating pain. The first drug is a painkiller.

Painkiller. Well, so much for his argument then.

[outdriving]

Good riddance!

But I wonder why we go through the complication of killing this scum with 3 chemicals.

Why not just give them a double fatal heroin dose?

Too good for their sorry arses, but no more grounds for ACLU (American Criminal Liberties Union) appeals.

[Westlander]

A slow feeding of Norway rats on his body would have been more appropriate.

[montag813]

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens voted to grant the stay, the court said in a two-sentence order.

It has been 12 years and I STILL am shocked that the GOP allowed ACLU Chief Counsel and enemy of America Ginsberg onto the highest court in the land. Cowards.

[Not now, Not ever!]

sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain. So?

[Dionysius]

1982? This sack o' sh-t was breathing for almost a quarter century? That's cruel and unusual punishment for both the family of the vic and the system.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I agree. The expectation of death is far more excruciating than death itself. Pop a slug into the criminal scumbag an hour after sentencing, I say.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

Yeah, right.:-) I can't imagine they feel anything regardless of what the lawyers would like to have us believe.

[sig226]

It wouldn't have made much of a difference. The potassium overdose makes your muscles relax, plus they're so wasted on the barbituate overdose that they lose consciousness and stop breathing. The whole argument is BS.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Hey, Buh-Bye Clarence; say hi to Tookie!

[butternut_squash_bisque]

"I have NO sympathy for a murderer. That officer murdered by him had no choice, no stay, nothing. This creep eeked out a cowardly "reprieve". They should have punished him long ago - execution and stop wasting tax payer dollars and running up legal bills."

Agree 100%.

[sig226]

Oops. I just looked up pancuronium bromide and it is not a barbituate. It is a muscle relaxant. And that means that Mr. Hill might well have been awake to watch the technician inject the potassium chloride into the catheter. I wonder if it looked anything like what the cop saw when Hill aimed a gun and fired, murdering a man in the course of a robbery.

Then again, I don't wonder, and I don't give a damn, either.

Good riddance, Mr. Hill. You will not be missed.

[Just Lori]

I realize that. Since they give the drugs in sequence, if the first is Pentothal........the rest doesn't matter to the receiver.

[crz]

When the hangman for the famous Judge Parker (the hanging judge for the territories in the 1800s) was asked if he had ever been haunted by the spirits of those he hanged. He stated that "No, I reckon I hanged them too".

Why is it I cant think of his name?

[CurlyBill]

Lethal injection is not cruel and certainly not unusual. This creep is now in hell where he belongs.

[Brad from Tennessee]

They could end the legal wrangling by going back to the electric chair--"old sparky." One condemned Florida killer's last words in 1965, as quoted by prison officials, was: "Shoot the juice to me Bruce!"

[Shimmer128]

I had an emergency C-section and they started cutting before i was completely out. I thought they were killing me, but then I was out like the proverbial light.
Saved the baby though. That was the preemie, they were in a hurry. :)

[Just Lori]

Glad everything worked out! I can imagine the pain you felt, if only briefly. Labor is pretty bad, too.

[docbnj]

Sodium pentothal is not merely a painkiller. It is also an anesthetic: it knocks you out. It is routinely used in surgery. I have had it several times. It causes no pain, and it allows you to feel no pain. I can say that from first-hand experience.

This is the drug used in the Netherlands for euthanasia. Of course, it looks as if liberals favor that, and I have never heard them express any worry over possible pain in that situation. This speculation about pain in the execution of criminals, in the way it is now done, is foolishness. If there is any p[ain, it must be the prick of the needle. Not much for someone who is a murder.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiopental

[Just Lori]

Follow the posts back to my original one on Sod. Pentothal.

[taxesareforever]

They should ask Clarence if it really did hurt. "Clarence, answer 'yes' if it hurt". Guess it didn't hurt since he won't answer.

[Just Lori]

sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain.

Too bad he was wrong. Did this guy expect to die laughing?

Ah what the hell! Throw in a little Nitris Oxide just for laughs.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"A convicted killer who argued that Florida's use of lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment was put to death Wednesday night after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly denied him another stay."

Did he come back to life and complain?

Ok it's not cruel, but it is unusual, bring back Hammurabbi. Equal justice under the equal law!

[ThomasPaine2000]

He had no comment; apparently, it did not hurt.. ByBy...

[TexasTransplant]

>>>>"Say hey to Tookie!"<<<<<

Hey... Hell is Cruel and unusual punishment...
wait a minute... nope... that IS the Usual Punishment.

As you were

TT

[Lancey Howard]

The electric chair was so much better.

[Centurion2000]

Hill had argued that the three chemicals used in Florida executions and by many other states — sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride — can cause excruciating pain.

He should have volunteered for the firing squad then, or the noose if it was such a pain for him.

[Centurion2000]

docbnj: Sodium pentothal is not merely a painkiller. It is also an anesthetic: it knocks you out. It is routinely used in surgery. I have had it several times. It causes no pain, and it allows you to feel no pain

Spanaway: Ah what the hell! Throw in a little Nitris Oxide just for laughs.

While we're at it ... just give the guy a bunch of sodium pentothal and 100% pure herion enough to fatally OD.

A rush, then blackness .... and justice is done.

[mickey blue eyes]

pop one in the back of the head with a 357 about 5minutes after sentence is passed

[Just Lori]

...A rush, then blackness .... and justice is done.

Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but....nope....that's not REALLY justice. Until we get back to basics, both in education AND in civil law, we're just back-pedaling.... and LOSING in more ways than one.

[Just Lori]

That's alot better! The cost of one bullet is much less than several drugs priced at about 500% to the government, administered by a physician costing gawd knows what per minute.......Oh wait a minute..... It's OK! The taxpayers cover it!

[imahawk]

Hey! more room on death row.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

I figured as much. Somebody needs info and then they won't cooperate.

[kittymyrib]

This murderer killed the police officer in 1982. Had he been left out on the street, chances are excellent he never would have lived these 24 years. What a screwed up "justice" system we have.

[oh8eleven]

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens voted to grant the stay
The ENEMY within.

[LynnHam]

agree ... I think if someone complains about this all they have to do is give a choose this or "old sparky"

[Semper Vigilantis]

Rat poison in his breakfast one morning would do it. Surprise!