Defense attorneys said the use of ketamine, fentanyl and potassium chloride could cause ‘excruciating suffering’

Utah officials said on Saturday that they are scrapping plans to use an untested lethal drug combination in next month’s planned execution of a man in a 1998 murder case. They will instead seek out a drug that’s been used previously in executions in numerous states.

Defense attorneys for Taberon Dave Honie, 49, had sued in state court to stop the use of the drug combination, saying it could cause the defendant “excruciating suffering”.

The execution scheduled for 8 August would be Utah’s first since the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, by firing squad.

  • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    That is, ideally, what they want to do. However, to do it properly you would need a doctor, and doctors won’t help because of the whole “do no harm” thing. Kind of against their whole thing.

    • harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      5 months ago

      Have you been to Utah? There’s probably a few “good Mormon” doctors who would do it, citing deep scripture regarding blood atonement and that kind of BS.

      • Cort@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Yeah and there’s probably a few actually good doctors on the medical board who would yank their licenses in a fucking heartbeat for participating.

        • harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          5 months ago

          Definitely. There’s a big enough group of decent enough people in Utah that help keep the state from turning into Florida or Texas, for now.