Alabama to Execute Inmate Using Nitrogen Gas: A Challenged Method
Alabama readies for 2nd gas-execution, the only other one ever done The execution, scheduled for Thursday, is the second nitrogen-based death penalty following the first in April this year which was dubbed as untested and left witnesses crying.
Execution of Alan E. Miller:
Alan E. Miller is set to be executed at 6 p.m. Central time in Atmore, Alabama for the September 1999 slayings of three men. He killed his coworkers, Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Yancy, and Terry Jarvis because he thought that they were spreading rumors about him.
Miller had first selected nitrogen hypoxia over lethal injection, but his 2022 execution was delayed after prison staffers struggled to find a vein for the lethal drug. Miller, who abandoned his appeals but later sought to argue for execution by nitrogen gas, reached a settlement in July that resurrected the case.
Is Nitrogen Gas A Viable Method of Execution?
When Alabama resorted to nitrogen gas execution in January, the state’s first, witnesses described nightmarish scenes. The man on the gurney that night, Kenneth Smith, reportedly shook violently and writhed before finally succumbing to the gas. More: AG Steve Marshall calls execution ‘textbook,’ says drugs met standards he asked for
Everyday things that seem safe… Nitrogen is a typically benign gas (about 78% of the air we breathe) and in everyday life causes no harm. Yet, the point of executions is not to cause fear and so they are currently done with 100% nitrogen in a gas mask, killing by lack of oxygen, called nitrogen hypoxia. While marketed as painless, the method has been questioned by the medical establishment and critics, who fear it can be executed ineptly to cause prolonged agony.
Lawsuit and Settlements:
Miller’s attorneys have contended nitrogen hypoxia could lead to a person suffering unduly, meaning it constitutes what is known as cruel and unusual punishment forbidden by the Eighth Amendment. State officials settled the lawsuit, but Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has since signed an warrant opening a 30-hour window for the execution.
Decline in the Death Penalty Across the U.SA:
There have so far been 16 executions in the United States this year, but use of the death penalty has dropped dramatically over time. Executions have also been set in several other states this year, including Oklahoma and Missouri, where some have generated controversy because of questions about the guilt of the prisoners.
Conclusion:
If Miller is executed, it will be a significant step for Alabama in the struggle to allow executions with nitrogen gas. Skeptics warn it could cause additional distress, but its advocates insist it offers a less brutal option than the alternatives. But as more states consider the use of nitrogen gas, the bigger question of whether or not they should continue using capital punishment is still unanswered in the U.S.