Professor Deborah Denno was quoted in a Newsweek article discussing Arizona’s execution practices, where she shared her insight on the execution of Clarence Dixon.
If [Frank Atwood’s execution] goes ahead, Atwood would be the second Arizona inmate put to death in less than a month. Clarence Dixon’s execution last month ended the state’s eight-year halt on executions following a botched procedure in 2014.
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Dixon’s May 11 execution was criticized by some death penalty experts as the medical team struggled for about 30 minutes to find a vein to administer the lethal drugs. They eventually made an incision in his groin area, and it then took another 10 minutes for him to die.
“It’s a sign of desperation (on the part of the execution team), and it’s a sign of an unqualified executioner,” said Deborah Denno, a Fordham University law professor and lethal injection expert.