Federal Judge Rejects Alabama Inmate’s Plea to Alter Nitrogen Gas Execution Protocol

Montgomery, Alabama—A federal judge on Friday declined a request by an Alabama death row inmate for a preliminary injunction to change the method of his upcoming execution, set to occur later this week using nitrogen gas. The decision was made amid contentious debates over the constitutionality of execution methods. The inmate, Demetrius Frazier, faces execution for the 1991 crimes of rape and murder of Pauline Brown. U.S. District Court Judge Emily C. Marks determined that Frazier did not successfully demonstrate the substantial legal standards required to justify a preliminary injunction against the state’s planned method. … Read more

Federal Judge Clears Way for Alabama’s Fourth Execution Using Controversial Nitrogen Gas Method Despite Claims of Cruelty

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal judge in Alabama has ruled against halting the use of nitrogen gas in executions, allowing the state to proceed with what would be its fourth such execution. The decision comes despite challenges from condemned inmate Demetrius Frazier, who argued that the method inflicts psychological pain and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Chief District Judge Emily C. Marks determined on Friday that Frazier did not meet the stringent legal requirements necessary for a preliminary injunction. Frazier had requested the court to either prohibit the state from using nitrogen gas or to … Read more

Alabama’s First Nitrogen Gas Execution Ends in Violent Convulsions, Prompting Outcry from Witnesses

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – The recent execution of Kenneth Smith in Alabama has sparked controversy and raised concerns about the use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method of capital punishment. Witnesses to the execution reported that Mr. Smith experienced violent shaking and convulsions as he inhaled pure nitrogen through a mask until he ultimately suffocated. While state officials claim that the process is painless, the distressing scenes witnessed during Mr. Smith’s execution suggest otherwise. The execution itself lasted at least 22 minutes, although the official time of death remains unknown due to the closure of the … Read more

Federal Judge Clears Path for First Execution by Nitrogen Hypoxia in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — A federal judge in Alabama has rejected an inmate’s request to halt his execution scheduled for later this month, potentially making him the first person to be put to death using the untested method of nitrogen hypoxia. Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted of a murder-for-hire plot in 1988, had argued that the state’s current protocol for nitrogen hypoxia violated his constitutional rights due to the risk of a painful death. However, Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. ruled that Smith had not proven that the protocol would cause cruel and unusual punishment, … Read more