Judge blocks Arkansas from carrying out executions

A federal judge on Saturday blocked the US state of Arkansas from carrying out six executions over 10 days, a new blow to an unprecedented schedule in capital punishment's modern history in the United States.

Arkansas planned to begin a series of executions on Monday night, less than two weeks before the expiration of its supply of midazolam, a sedative that is intended to render the inmate unconscious.

Although the state will appeal the ruling by Federal District Judge Kristine G. Baker in Little Rock, the decision threatens to force Arkansas to abandon its plan for its first executions since 2005.

"The court finds that plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction based on their method of execution claim under the Eighth Amendment," Judge Baker wrote in a case that focused on execution procedures and scheduling, as well as access to counsel.

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Nine death row prisoners, mostly men whose executions were scheduled for later this month, brought the case, which did not include other matters that frequently surface in capital litigation, including claims of innocence or mental illness.

Judge Baker issued her ruling less than 24 hours after a Circuit Court judge in Pulaski County, Arkansas, issued a temporary restraining order to block executions.

The state attorney general's office vowed to appeal that decision, and the judge in that case, Wendell Griffen, drew swift criticism on Friday for joining a protest against the death penalty on a day he stopped execution plans.

Judge Baker's ruling formally applies to nine prisoners. But of the nine, one man's execution had not been scheduled, and other judges had stayed the executions of two prisoners. "It is unfortunate that a US district judge has chosen to side with the convicted prisoners in one of their many last-minute attempts to delay justice," said Judd Deere, a spokesman for the state attorney general. (- New York Times)