Supreme Court Weighs Procedural Issue In Death Row Lawsuit.

Source: Washington Post

Supreme Court justices got into a very nasty debate over inmates' right to challenge cruel and unusual punishment.

This is one of those political "hot button" issues that just isn't going away anytime soon.

Few issues test the Supreme Court's unity more than the death penalty, and the justices' deep disagreements were evident yesterday during oral argument on the rights of death row inmates to challenge lethal injection as a cruel and unusual punishment.

With questions and comments from the justices revealing an even split along liberal-conservative lines, the outcome could depend on Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the centrist who is the court's swing voter now that Sandra Day O'Connor has retired.

Some are even going as far as to joke about the atmosphere with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy being a bit uptight it seems.

Kennedy was in no mood for joking as he weighed Florida death row inmate Clarence E. Hill's contention that the three-drug injection used by Florida, 36 other states and the federal system risks harsh but undetectable pain.

When his colleagues engaged in some light banter, as they often do during oral arguments, Kennedy interrupted: "This is a death case. It's not that amusing."

How the lethal injection process works:

The anesthetic precedes a dose of a paralyzing agent; then comes potassium chloride, which burns the lining of the veins on its way to the heart. But if a prisoner is still conscious when the potassium chloride arrives, he will feel excruciating pain; paralyzed, he will be unable to show it, the lawyers note.

The process of lethal injection is definitely under attack by a well-oiled machine of lawyers and politicians.

I honestly have never been a fan of it as there is no evidence to support that it is a pain-free procedure. Plus, I think it's more of "humans playing God" and just pretty damn inhumane in general anyway.

Besides, the costs involved with court proceedings and the appeals process are like 5 times what they would be if the inmate just served out his time with life in prison.

Scraping it makes a ton of sense from a humanity side and from the financial side.

Tags: [Supreme Court], [justices get into nasty debate over lethal injection], [hot button issue], [Anthony M. Kennedy], [Florida death row inmate Clarence E. Hill], [lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment]