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| Execution Stayed by High Court |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 01/26/2006 |
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A last-minute decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution of a Florida inmate could temporarily halt lethal injections throughout the country until April. The high court Wednesday decided to hear an argument by convicted killer Clarence Hill that his civil rights would be violated by Florida's lethal-injection method because it causes inmates to suffer pain during the procedure. Hill was moments from being executed - strapped to a gurney with intravenous lines inserted and witnesses waiting Tuesday night - when he won a temporary stay from Justice Anthony Kennedy. The full court confirmed the stay of execution on Wednesday. Hill's case has wended through various courts since Oct. 22, 1982, when he killed a police officer and wounded another during a savings and loan robbery and shootout. Although a lower court ruled that Hill had exhausted all of his appeals, the Supreme Court decided to hear his argument that Florida's cocktail of lethal drugs amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Most states that employ lethal injection use the same combination of drugs as Florida. The high court is expected to hold a hearing April 26 to decide whether Hill can continue pursuing his case as a civil-rights issue. |
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