home

Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execution

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 05:15:01 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Two doctors have refused to participate in the execution of Michael Morales, forcing the prison to delay it, at least until tonight.

The exact wording of the judge's order was not immediately available, but the anesthesiologists issued a statement through the prison saying they were concerned about a requirement that they intervene in the event that Morales woke up or appeared to be in pain.

"Any such intervention would clearly be medically unethical," said the doctors, who have not been identified. "As a result, we have withdrawn from participation in this current process."

The prison planned to switch the lethal injection drugs, using barbituates instead of the three drug cocktail that many believe result in extreme pain being felt by the executionee if the drugs did not completely sedate him.

< Selling Control of Our Ports to Dubai Company | Supreme Court Accepts Abortion Case >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execution | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#1)
    by jen on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 05:44:13 AM EST
    Why haven't they been using the barbituate overdose all along? It's a lot simpler. One dose vs. three.

    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#2)
    by chemoelectric on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 06:51:02 AM EST
    Some background.

    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 12:02:33 PM EST
    If they give him barbiturates only, after his last meal, he's going to vomit, then aspirate. After a few minutes of gagging and wretching, he'll lose muscle strength, collapse and stop breathing. If they do not give him the potassium, his heart could continue beating through all of the above, and on for another 5-10 minutes while the hypoxia kicks in.

    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#4)
    by Johnny on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 12:52:13 PM EST
    I say we go back to public executions of the blood-and-guts kind. After all, those countries which still practice those are considered among the finest places in the world to live.

    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#5)
    by jen on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 03:09:57 PM EST
    Well, at any rate, good on 'em. My heroes.

    Re: Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execut (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 07:33:04 PM EST
    The latest news is that the execution will be put off until at least May.

    Doctors Refuse to Participate in Calif. Execution | 6 comments (6 topical)