Florida Supreme Court delays execution

The Florida Supreme Court has decided to delay the execution of an inmate in its state until the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocols.

The lethal injection cocktail used under review is almost identical to the drugs used in Florida, according to a Huffington Post report.

{mosads}In January, the high court agreed to hear arguments from three death row inmates and decide whether the state’s practices in recent lethal injections amount to cruel and unusual punishment. 

On Tuesday, outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder told a crowd at a National Press Club luncheon that he thinks there should be a national moratorium on executions until the Supreme Court makes a decision about the legality of the drugs used.

“I think fundamental questions about the death penalty need to be asked,” he said. “And among them, the Supreme Court’s determination as to whether or not lethal injection is consistent with our Constitution is one that ought to occur. From my perspective, I think a moratorium until the Supreme Court made that determination would be appropriate.”