Christopher Newton May 24 Ohio execution delayed

[kahlmyishmael]

The guards cannot find his veins

[gellibee]

OMG not again, this is appalling!

[gellibee]

Hour-plus delay in Ohio lethal injection


By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press


LUCASVILLE, Ohio — An execution was delayed more than an hour Thursday while prison medical staff struggled to find suitable veins in the condemned man's arms — the second time that has happened in Ohio in little more than a year.

The execution team stuck Christopher Newton at least 10 times with needles to get in place the shunts used to administer the lethal chemicals. Newton, who had insisted on the death penalty as punishment for killing a cellmate, continued to talk, smile and laugh with the prison staff, and at one point was even given a bathroom break.

When he eventually was moved from his holding cell and strapped to a table in the death chamber, he made this short statement: "Yes, boy, I could sure go for some beef stew and a chicken bone. That's it."

Newton, 37, was pronounced dead at 11:53 a.m. at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility; his execution had been set to begin at 10.

He weighed 265 at his physical on Wednesday. The head of the Public Defender's death penalty division, Joe Wilhelm, said Newton told him it was hard for blood to be taken from his veins because of his weight.

The public defender's office said the decision was made not to intervene when the execution was delayed.

"You have to remember that Newton wanted to die. Our job isn't to oppose the death penalty, it's to represent our clients," said Greg Meyer, chief counsel for the Ohio Public Defender's Office.

In May 2006, the execution of another Ohio inmate, Joseph Lewis Clark, also was delayed more than an hour because the team could not find a suitable vein; a prison official said at the time that Clark's history of drug use may have been a factor. That case has been cited by death penalty opponents as an example of problems with lethal injection.

Executions typically last about 20 minutes. A group of Ohio inmates is suing over the state's injection method, saying it is unconstitutionally cruel, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio called on the state to stop executions because of Thursday's problems.

The delay will be discussed as part of that suit and helps show the state is unable to complete executions smoothly, Meyer said.

"There will be a day in trial that they will have to answer up as to what caused this two-hour delay," Meyer said. "That's a lot of time messing around trying to get a needle in a vein."

Gov. Ted Strickland said every precaution was taken to make sure Newton was treated respectfully and was not in pain.

"The procedure worked as it was intended to work," Strickland said. "If someone is against the death penalty then I can understand why they would want me to have a moratorium on the death penalty, but I think what happened today is not any supporting justification for that."

"There was not a cause to intervene," Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said. "Out of an abundance of caution, every precaution was taken before the procedure began to ensure that there would be no problems when the procedure began."

Newton beat and choked cellmate Jason Brewer, 27, to death in 2001 after they argued over a chess game.

In a statement read by public defender Robert Lowe after the execution, Newton apologized to his victim's family. "If I could take it back, I would," the statement said. "To my family, I love you and I'm sorry."

Although his attorneys argued Newton should be spared the death penalty because of mental disorders, a court last fall found him competent to forgo his appeals. The prosecution had argued that he had feigned mental illness.

Court documents say Newton, who spent much of his adult life in prison, knew Brewer's killing was a capital crime, and refused to cooperate with investigators unless they sought the death penalty.

In an interview with reporters last month, Newton said he killed Brewer because he repeatedly gave up while they were playing chess.

"Every time I put him in check, he'd give up and want to start a new game," Newton said. "And I tried to tell him you never give up ... I just got tired of it."

Newton also claimed that he had intentionally gotten himself put back in prison by leaving behind a handprint during a 1999 break-in at his father's house

[MXB]

The following is a reflection written today, Thursday, May 24th, following the execution of Christopher Newton.

It took the state almost TWO HOURS to execute Newton.....

"So how many botched executions will it take for Ohio to stop this insanity?

While returning from the prayerful witness outside of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility to the execution of Christopher Newton, I had so many issues that arise because the process did not go as planned.

This is the second botched lethal injection in Ohio. After the Joseph Clark execution, Ohio changed its process to insure this wouldn't happen again.

There is currently a lawsuit pending regarding the cruel and unusual punishment that is Ohio's lethal injection protocol. Some inmates have stays of execution and others have not.

TWO HOURS ~~ TWO HOURS to die. Could you even imagine what you would be thinking for those TWO long hours? This has to traumatize EVERYONE involved ~~ waiting and watching for the death: the victim's family, the prison staff, the government officials and the Newton family.

At 10 a.m., I was standing in prayer with other people from around Ohio, waiting for the announcement of death. There was no announcement by 10:30 a.m. I know that past executions take about 15-20 minutes. I was beginning to feel like this was eerily reminiscent of the botched Clark execution. I continued to pray and listen to the tolling of the bell.

By 11 a.m., the disturbing feelings that something was terribly wrong began to overwhelm me. I wasn't the only one feeling this way. Others were milling about concerned about what was happening. Nearly an hour and a half past the beginning time of executions, we got word – There was trouble with finding veins!!

How is this possible? Why is this happening? What more could I do? At 11:25 a.m. I called the Governor's office to voice my concerns that this is such cruel punishment and I wanted the execution stopped. I don't know if my message got to him really, but I do know that at 11:53 a.m., Christopher Newton was dead.

With two botched executions and a legal suit pending, it is now time to stop executions."


Please contact Governor Strickland's office to voice your concerns over this issue. You may contact the Governor's Office directly at: 614-466-3555.

[MXB]

Toledo Attorney Angry Over Botched Executions

WTOL-TV in Toledo
May 25, 2007

TOLEDO -- Toledo attorney Alan Konop says Thursday's execution of Christopher Newton is an unfortunate repeat of what happened this time last year to his client, Joe Clark. Konop wants Governor Strickland to halt all executions until the Bureau of

Prisons figures out how to stop this from happening again.
Toledo native Joe Clark was convicted of the 1984 murder of David Manning at a gas station on Airport Highway. Last May, he was executed. But it took almost 90 minutes, because they couldn't find the right veins in his arms.

"He actually got up and said, 'Stop it, you're not doing it right,' " Konop said.
Family members told Konop what Clark went through on the gurney.

But should anyone, especially the victim's family, be expected to feel sympathy for this convicted killer? A man who was also sentenced to life in prison for killing another clerk the night before?

"I don't think there's any civilized society that feels that a person who's been sentenced to death should be tortured to death," Konop argues.

The brother of murder victim David Manning told News 11 he firmly believes in the death penalty, but actually agrees with Konop. Mike Manning said: "I believe in the constitutionality of the death penalty. In other words, you should not have to suffer because of the state."

Next month, Konop says he will file a civil lawsuit against the State of Ohio for "cruel and unusual punishment" in how Clark was put to death

"We hope that if the state sees that they can be liable for damages, that they will take a new and fresh look at how they carry out executions," Konop said.