Deadly Justice Ch 10

What methods of execution surged and declines in the search for humane methods

Hanging was most common but declined, and the electric chair followed with a surge and decline and led to the invention of the lethal injection, which is also decline in usage

What is the 3 drug cocktail for the lethal injection

1. sedative - puts you to sleep (if 1 fails but 2 works, how would we know if 3 caused undue suffering?)

2. paralytic agent - stops all muscle movement (controversial, makes it prettier for the people watching)

3. stop the heart - kills you

medicalization paradox

The medicalization paradox refers to the phenomenon where lethal injections are framed as medical procedures, but it raises concerns on whether doctors don’t want to participate

What is the controversy surrounding the manufacturing/importing of the drugs

it isnt made in the US, and EU companies dont want to export them for purposes around the death penalty, so its difficult to find the drugs and it carries an illegal process to import them

What was found in a post-mortem study of amount of anesthetic in the blood

only 12% was consistent with what you would need for a surgery, about 87% of people had anesthetic levels lower than surgical levels or exhibited signs of consciousness

NC experience with lethal injection (medical)

in 2006 the medical board said any doc who participates will lose their license, but state law requires a doctos particpation (at least back then)

restoring proper justice act, 2012

Anyone with EMT traning can participate, not just a doctor (also did away with protections in the 2009 racial justice act)

When was NCs last execution

2006

Westinghouse and Edison

Essentially, there was competition for the best electricity distribution system. Edison had DC and Westinghouse had AC. DC could only transmit for about a mile while AC could transmit 100 miles. Edison had the inferior product, and thus he promoted AC as the electricity of death and he presents that it can electrocute several animals, even an elephant. All to show that AC was dangerous

NY state commission 1886 - new method of execution

Edision electric built first chair (AC chair)

The Gerry Commission

Settled on using the new tech of electric power, which edison guaranteed would kill instantly + painlesslyto replace hanging as the primary method of execution.

Who was the first electric chair execution and what happened

William Kemmler, AC passed through him for 17 sec and he was declared dead but witnesses said he was still breathing, so the current turned back on for 8 min. torturous