Alito parts with conservatives on execution - Yahoo! News

Reuters ^ | Thu Feb 2, 9:07 AM ET | James Vicini

[sefarkas]

Alito sided with the majority in a 6-3 vote that rejected a last minute request to allow Missouri to carry out the execution of Michael Taylor, 39, by lethal injection at midnight, a court spokesman said on Thursday.

He has challenged his death sentence on the grounds that the three-drug cocktail of lethal chemicals used in executions carry the risk of undue suffering, violating the U.S. Constitution's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

[Lurking Libertarian]

9-0, but it was a moot procedural vote anyway.

There were actually two votes at the Court, both on procedural issues; one was 9-0, but one (on the State's motion to lift the stay of execution ordered by the lower court) was 6-3. Roberts, Thomas and Scalia voted to lift the stay, and the other 6 (including Alito) voted to let the lower court's stay remain in effect.

[adam_az]

"There were actually two votes at the Court, both on procedural issues; one was 9-0, but one (on the State's motion to lift the stay of execution ordered by the lower court) was 6-3. Roberts, Thomas and Scalia voted to lift the stay, and the other 6 (including Alito) voted to let the lower court's stay remain in effect."

Thanks for clearing that up. I looked on the USSC website and couldn't find the case history. They hadn't updated it yet.

It doesn't bother me. Alito had been a USSCJ for less than a day. My guess is that he felt he hadn't reviewed the case thoroughly yet. In that light, his decision is to be commended.

[redhead]

"Nitrogen asphyxiation. Cheep, painless, effective."

Bullet to the brain. Cheaper. Painlesser. At least as effective.

[Calpernia]

>>>There are some real issues with that "cocktail."

I heard that Ditto has a dull hatchet we can borrow.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Could hardly wait to go liberal

Perhaps he is been consistantly pro-life?

[taxcontrol]

Nope, bullets make more mess, don't always kill and often require a bleedout before the person is dead.

[Amore]

I'm hoping it's a ploy to lull the liberals into non-suspicion. Plus, if he knew the vote was 5-3. before his vote where's the harm?

I swear, if he turns out to be a Quisling, I don't know what I'll do.
All this death penalty delay, distraction, and baloney is really getting to me.

[eddiebear]

Yet Luttig was feared to be influenced by the style section of the WAPO and NYT. Good Grief! This is just one case! In fact, Alito lived up to his promises in the hearing regarding "judicia courtesy".

This looks like another excuse for the "I'll sit out yet complain about the Democras I helped elect by my sitting out" crowd that this website seems to promulgate.

[presidio9]

The Catholic Church's position on Capital Punishment mimic's Condoleezza Rice's on abortion: "Safe, legal & rare."

[Dante3]

Talking of undue suffering, there is the Terri Schiavo case who was sentenced to a most barbaric death by Judge Greer, and never even had her own lawyer.

[RedStateRocker]

230 grain .45 ACP slug to cerebral cortex:
cheaper, quicker and any pain ain't gonna last for long.

Of course it would be better if televised and carried out within 30 seconds of the verdict being rendered.

[taxcontrol]

Once again, does not always kill, does not always cause painless death, often requires the person bleed out before death occurs, disperse lead into the environment, causes massive blood spatter (many convicts carry aids), etc.

[RedStateRocker]

OK, OK, OK... I'll use the .50 S&W BFR instead....
:-)

[taxcontrol]

LOL - that's even worse!!! over penetration... MASSIVE blood spatter.... true, much more lethal but who would want to clean up the mess? I suppose you could have the next guy up for execution do the clean up.