Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Update: Federal judge tells Texas to put up or shut up

Tomorrows's scheduled execution of Tommy Sells has been blocked by US Federal District Judge Vanessa Gilmore who ordered the State of Texas to disclose the names of the suppliers of the state's death drugs as well as other details related to the state's acquisition of the drugs.

Judge Gilmore's order also puts next week's scheduled execution of Ramiro Hernandes-Llanas on hold.

Attorneys for the condemned men filed a federal lawsuit after the Texas Supreme Court reversed the Third Court of Appeals' decision that the state had to disclose the information.

Judge Gilmore's decision is a rebuke to the notion put forward by the state-sponsored murder machines that the public doesn't have the right to know the details of how the states acquire their death drugs. It is also a sign that the courts are going to take seriously the fact that drugs produced by compounding pharmacies are not regulated.

Could this be another nail in the coffin?

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