The Supreme Court upheld the use of a controversial lethal injection drug as part of three-drug cockail on Monday, dismissing claims that midazolam does not sufficiently prevent pain. Three Oklahoma death row inmates had argued that midazolam could not achieve the level of unconsciousness required for surgery and did not protect prisoners from pain. In a 5-4 decision, the judges ruled that the sedative was not proven to be crueler compared to other known and available alternatives.
