Wednesday, April 16, 2008

End the moratorium

The Supreme Court has ruled on the lethal injection case that has been holding up death penalty cases in Virginia and elsewhere, the opinion issued today in Baze v. Rees (argued on January 7) is here. And, the vote was 7-2, or maybe it was 2-1-2-1-1-2.

So, I guess the Governor's moratorium, based on the pendency of Baze, will be undone.

UPDATE: Undone it was, according to the Attorney General, Bob McDonnell, who says this:

“The Supreme Court has rejected a procedural challenge to Kentucky’s administration of lethal injection. Now that the Court has ruled, the Governor has rightly lifted his moratorium on executions in Virginia. This office will continue, as always, to defend the Commonwealth's authority to carry out the sentences handed down by Virginia courts, and the constitutionality of Virginia’s duly enacted statutes.”

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