AL Halts Executions Until SCOTUS Ruling

Alabama agreed to suspend executions of death-row inmates until after the U.S. Supreme Court decides a case regarding lethal-injection protocol and drug combination in Oklahoma. In Montgomery on Wednesday, U.S. District Court Keith Watkins issued an order to hold off on seven executions until the Supreme Court decides on an appeal by Oklahoma inmate Richard Glossip. The judge’s order was in response to a complaint filed by death-row inmate Tommy Arthur. Watkins said six other Alabama death-row inmates have filed similar lawsuits. Alabama has not carried out an execution since 2013 because of a shortage of lethal-injection drugs. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Glossip’s appeal on April 29, and a decision is expected at the end of June.