Cheat Sheet

The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that officials hadn't followed the law in adopting procedures for executions Wednesday and suspended the killing of prisoners. The ruling did not address whether the three-drug cocktail used in lethal injections is inhumane. The justices held that the state corrections department must follow state laws concerning administrative procedures and publish details of the death penalty procedure and have public hearings on the matter. An anti-death-penalty group lawyer said the decision “will shine light on the lethal injection process and create accountability for the procedures that are used.” But dissenting justices said the ruling was a stalling tactic that "turns on a sterile technicality" and will lead to more delays in death penalty cases. “Respect for our law erodes when timely punishment is not given its fair place upon the scales of justice,” wrote one dissenter.