Saturday, April 15, 2017

Arkansas: Bulletin: Major Development: Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas from carrying out six executions over 10 days..."Arkansas planned to begin a series of executions on Monday night, less than two weeks before the expiration of its supply of midazolam, a sedative that is intended to render the inmate unconscious."

 
"A federal judge on Saturday blocked the State of Arkansas from carrying out six executions over 10 days, a new blow to an unprecedented schedule in capital punishment’s modern history in the United States. Arkansas planned to begin a series of executions on Monday night, less than two weeks before the expiration of its supply of midazolam, a sedative that is intended to render the inmate unconscious. Although the state will appeal the ruling by Federal District Judge Kristine G. Baker in Little Rock, the decision threatens to force Arkansas to abandon its plan for its first executions since 2005.........Nine death row prisoners, mostly men whose executions were scheduled for later this month, brought the case, which did not include other matters that frequently surface in capital litigation, including claims of innocence or mental illness.........“It is unfortunate that a U.S. district judge has chosen to side with the convicted prisoners in one of their many last-minute attempts to delay justice,” said Judd Deere, a spokesman for the state attorney general. Continue reading the main story
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/us/arkansas-executions.html?emc=edit_na_20170415&nl=breaking-news&nlid=57629086&ref=headline

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;