FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2009

Statement from State Public Defender Tim Young, regarding
today’s announcement that DRC is revising Ohio’s execution protocol

COLUMBUS – “I would like to congratulate the State of Ohio, as it has finally recognized that by going to a single, massive dose of an anesthetic, it will greatly reduce the risk of torturing people to death. I continue to have concerns, however, that there are no limits on how long or how many times the execution team can try to gain IV access.

“After six years of litigation over this issue—during which three botched executions revealed significant problems with its execution protocol—the State of Ohio has taken the first real steps toward doing the right thing. I hope, though, that the State continues to examine whether its execution procedures comply with the Constitution and Ohio's laws. With this new protocol, the State has failed to recognize that its execution method is not just about the drugs used, but also about the State’s inability to administer drugs intravenously. Mr. Broom's failed execution was not due to the drugs, but to the failure to properly place an IV. The new process announced this afternoon works on one problem, but leaves the other untouched.

“I recognize that the State has taken a significant step today, and I congratulate them for that. By moving to a single-drug IV protocol and establishing a backup intra-muscular injection, Ohio has distinguished itself from every other state that conducts executions and the federal government. However, because the new protocol announced today has not corrected the cause of the botched executions Ohio has experienced, I do expect litigation to continue.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Amy Borror, Public Information Officer
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
614-644-1587
Email: amy.borror@opd.ohio.gov