Examine lethal-injection procedures, legislator says

Friday, July 29, 2011  03:05 AM

By Alan Johnson

The Columbus Dispatch

Rep. W. Carlton Weddington, a Columbus Democrat, asked Gov. John Kasich on Monday to take a close look at execution procedures in line with a recent court decision and resulting delays.
"I am concerned that now, after the second delayed execution, Gov. Kasich and Director (Gary) Mohr have not done more to address this very sensitive issue," Weddington said in a statement. "The citizens of Ohio need justice that is fair and balanced but also humane and cost-effective. Today, I raise the question of, is lethal injection the right form of justice, and how do we administer it in the best possible way?"
Weddington is a member of the House Criminal Justice Committee and the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee.
Two scheduled executions have been postponed because of a federal judge's decision calling Ohio's adherence to its execution procedures "haphazard."