Deborah Denno comments to CNN on the botched lethal injection in Oklahoma that catapulted the issue of U.S. capital punishment back into the international spotlight, raising new questions about the drugs being used and the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
“Medical and legal experts from around the country had repeatedly warned Oklahoma’s governor, courts and Department of Corrections about the likelihood that the protocol intended for use … would be highly problematic,” said Deborah Denno, death penalty expert at Fordham Law School.
“This botch was foreseeable and the state (was) ill prepared to deal with the circumstances despite knowing that the entire world was watching. Lethal injection botches have existed for decades but never have they been riskier or more irresponsible than they are in 2014. This outcome is a disgrace,” Denno said.
Read and watch the entire CNN story.