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ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's first-ever use of nitrogen gas for an execution could gain traction among other states and change how the death penalty is carried out in the United States, much like lethal injection did more than 40 years ago, according to experts on capital punishment. Oklahoma and Mississippi already have laws authorizing the use of nitrogen gas for executions, and some other states, including Nebraska, have introduced measures this year to add it as an option. “This is a chapter in a long-running story in the United States,” Sarat said. A majority of states, 29, have either abolished the death penalty or paused executions, and there were just 24 executions carried out in five U.S. states in 2023, according to Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center. “More states have abolished the death penalty since 2007 than in any other comparable 17-year period in American history,” Sarat noted.

Persons: — Alabama's, Steve Marshall, Kenneth Eugene Smith, ” Marshall, ”, Steven Harpe, Smith, gurney, John Q, Hamm, ” Hamm, Harpe, Justin Farris, ” Farris, “, Austin Sarat, ” Sarat, Clayton Lockett, Lockett, ” Ryan Kiesel, ” Kiesel, ” ___ Murphy Organizations: Alabama, Amherst College, Washington , D.C, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: Ala, United States, “ Alabama, Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Nebraska, Europe, U.S, Washington ,, Oklahoma City

☆ What we know about Alabama execution of Kenneth Smith by nitrogen gas
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Dakin Andone | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith was put to death Thursday night by nitrogen hypoxia, marking the nation’s first known execution to be carried out using that method. The execution process began at 7:53 p.m. CT Thursday, and Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m., according to Alabama Department of Corrections officials. Smith made a lengthy statement in front of the witnesses before the execution started, according to the pool reporters. A new method of capital punishmentAhead of Smith’s execution, a tense debate unfolded about whether America’s wholly new execution method is humane and whether the procedure would cause undue pain. The family has forgiven everyone involved in the killing, including Smith, Michael Sennett said at a news conference Thursday night.

Persons: Kenneth Smith, Smith, United Nations –, William C, John Hamm, gurney, “, writhed, Hamm, ” Hamm, Jeff Hood, who’d, ” Smith, gurney ”, Hood, ”, ’, Elizabeth Sennett's, Elizabeth Sennett, Sennett, Charles Sennett, Michael, ” Elizabeth Sennett’s, What’s, ” Chuck Sennett, “ He’s, Michael Sennett, CNN’s Devan Cole, Christina Maxouris, Isabel Rosales, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jamiel Lynch Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Holman Correctional, Alabama Department of Corrections, “ Locations: Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Atmore, Alta

☆ Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas, the first time the new method has been used
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Kim Chandler | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It marked the first time that a new execution method has been used in the United States since lethal injection, now the most commonly used method, was introduced in 1982. After a chance to make a final statement, the warden, from another room, would activate the nitrogen gas. And experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council cautioned they believe the execution method could violate the prohibition on torture. Three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma — have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, but no state had attempted to use the untested method until now. Smith's attorneys had raised concerns that he could choke to death on his own vomit as the nitrogen gas flows.

Persons: —, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Smith, gurney, I'm, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Jeff Hood, Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Hood, he's, Elizabeth Sennett, Sennett, Charles Sennett Jr, Mama, Charles Sennett, John Forrest Parker Organizations: Alabama, Service, —, U.S, Supreme, Justice, Prosecutors, WAAY, Catholic, Human Locations: Ala, — Alabama, Alabama, United States, Vatican, Rome, Mississippi, Oklahoma

☆ Alabama execution using nitrogen gas, the first ever, again puts U.S. at front of death penalty debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

It marked the first time a new execution method was used in the U.S. since 1982, when lethal injection was introduced and later became the most common method. The state had predicted the nitrogen gas would cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes. After he had a chance to make a final statement, the warden, from another room, was to activate the nitrogen gas. And experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council cautioned they believe the execution method could violate the prohibition on torture. Smith's attorneys had raised concerns that he could choke to death on his own vomit as the nitrogen gas flows.

Persons: Abraham Bonowitz, Kenneth Smith, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Smith, gurney, Kay Ivey, Elizabeth Sennett, Ivey, Elizabeth Sennett's, Mike Sennett, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Steve Marshall, John Q, Hamm, Jeff Hood, Hood, Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, he's, Sennett, John Forrest Parker, Charles Sennett Organizations: Holman Correctional, Alabama Gov, European Union, Human, EU, U.S, Supreme, State, Justice, Catholic, Prosecutors Locations: Columbus , Ohio, Holman, Atmore , Alabama, U.S, Alabama, United States, Geneva, gurney, Hamm, Vatican, Rome, Mississippi, Oklahoma

☆ Alabama Set to Carry Out First U.S. Execution by Nitrogen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alabama is set to carry out the first American execution using nitrogen gas on Thursday evening, potentially opening a new frontier in how states execute death row prisoners despite concerns from death penalty opponents about the untested method. As it stands, prison officials plan to begin the execution around 6 p.m. Central time. Mr. Smith, 58, is one of three men convicted in the 1988 murder of a woman whose husband, a pastor, had recruited them to kill her. The protocol released by prison officials calls for strapping Mr. Smith to a gurney in the state’s execution chamber in Atmore, Ala., after which a mask will be placed on his head and a flow of nitrogen will be released into it, depriving him of oxygen. It would be the second time the state has tried to kill Mr. Smith, after a failed lethal injection in November 2022 in which executioners could not find a suitable vein before his death warrant expired.

Persons: Kenneth Smith, Smith, strapping Mr, gurney Organizations: Alabama, U.S, Supreme Locations: Atmore, Ala

☆ The Alabama Execution Case: What We Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Anna Betts | Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alabama carried out on Thursday the first execution using nitrogen gas in the United States, an untested method that was the subject of debate before it was used. Here are a few things to know about the case. According to court documents, Ms. Sennett, a mother of two, was stabbed 10 times in the attack by Mr. Smith and another man. Charles Sennett Sr., Ms. Sennett’s husband, had recruited a man to handle her killing, who in turn recruited Mr. Smith and another man. Mr. Sennett arranged the murder in part to collect on an insurance policy that he had taken out on his wife, according to court records.

Persons: Kenneth Smith, William C, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Sennett, Smith, Charles Sennett, Sennett’s Organizations: Alabama, Holman Correctional, U.S, Supreme Locations: United States, Atmore, Ala, Colbert County

The revamped Congressional District 2, which was designed to boost the voting power of Black residents, has a voting-age population that is 48.7% Black, giving the district a decidedly Democratic tilt. State Republicans, however, say they are not ceding the seat without a fight. A federal judge ordered Georgia to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district, although the state plans to appeal. The Alabama district is an open seat in the 2024 election after the current representative, Republican Rep. Barry Moore, was drawn out of the district. Moore has decided to challenge Republican Rep. Jerry Carl in Congressional District 1.

Persons: —, Zac McCrary, Viet Shelton, Shelton, John Wahl, Wahl, ” Wahl, Barry Moore, Moore, Jerry Carl, Marine James Averhart, Napoleon Bracy, Jr, Sen, Merika Coleman, Anthony Daniels, Vivian, Brian Gary, Juandalynn, Jeremy Gray, Phyllis Harvey, Willie J, Lenard, Vimal Patel, Larry Darnell Simpson, Darryl Sinkfield, Greg Albritton, Dick Brewbaker, Caroleene Dobson, Karla M, Wallace Gilberry, Hampton Harris, Stacey T, Belinda Thomas Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Representatives, Republicans, Alabama, U.S . House, Congressional, Democratic Congressional, Committee, Democrats, Associated Press, State Republicans, Alabama Republican, Democratic Party, Republican Rep, Marine, Hall, Alabama Education Association, NFL, University of Alabama, Newton City Locations: Ala, Alabama, Georgia , Louisiana, Viet, ”, Florida, Georgia, Prichard, Pleasant Grove, Huntsville, Birmingham, Opelika, Newton

July 21 (Reuters) - Alabama executed a man early on Friday for beating an elderly woman to death two decades ago, the state's first execution since Governor Kay Ivey lifted a suspension on capital punishment in February following a review. Barber argued to the United States Court of Appeals that his execution should be halted because he is at substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" under current protocols. Legal and ethical questions have swirled around capital punishment in the United States after several lethal injections have been botched in recent years. The number of executions in the United States has drastically fallen since 1999, when a record 98 executions were carried out. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976.

Persons: Kay Ivey, James Barber, William Holman, Barber, Dorothy Epps, Ivey, Brendan O'Brien, Daniel Trotta, Gursimran Kaur, Bharat Govind Gautam, Sandra Maler, Andrew Heavens Organizations: William, William Holman Correctional, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Department of Corrections, United States, of Appeals, Thomson Locations: Alabama, . U.S, Atmore , Alabama, Harvest , Alabama, United States, Chicago

☆ Alabama to put inmate to death, state's first execution since suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Barber argued to the United States Court of Appeals that his execution should be halted because he is at substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" under current protocols. Legal and ethical questions have swirled around capital punishment in the United States after several lethal injections have been botched in recent years. The number of executions in the United States has drastically fallen since 1999, when a record 98 executions were carried out. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976. Over the last five years, a total of 78 death row inmates have been executed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Persons: Kay Ivey, James Barber, William Holman, Dorothy Epps, Ivey, Barber, Brendan O'Brien, Sandra Maler Organizations: William, William Holman Correctional, Republican, Department of Corrections, United States, of Appeals, Thomson Locations: Alabama, Atmore , Alabama, Harvest , Alabama, United States, Chicago

☆ Alabama calls off execution of man convicted in murder-for-hire after problem with IV access
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

It is the second execution since September that the state has canceled because of difficulties with establishing an IV. Because the death warrant expired at midnight, the state must go back to court to seek a new execution date. Some three decades ago, a promise was made to Elizabeth’s family that justice would be served through a lawfully imposed death sentence. Smith was initially convicted in 1989, and a jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence, which a judge imposed. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Smith’s request to review the constitutionality of his death sentence on those grounds.

☆ US Midterms 2022: 5 States Are Voting to Ban Slavery in Prisons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Voters in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, and Vermont will be voting on changing this legislation. The landmark 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on December 6, 1865, officially abolished slavery but allowed it to continue as a punishment in prisons against convicted felons. For states in the former Confederacy, the loophole was a tool to maintain the dynamics of slavery, post-abolition, said AP. But in some states, including Alabama, inmates get paid nothing for their work. "For an entire generation, it put Black men and women back into slavery by incarcerating them and selling their labor to private corporations," said Chase.

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