US judge halts execution by nitrogen gas, ruling it unconstitutional
Key takeaways
- Judge Emily Marks had previously allowed the execution to proceed, arguing that no execution is entirely without pain.
- On Tuesday, US District Judge Emily C Marks permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas.
- Her decision came a day after an appeals court reversed her earlier ruling that the method is constitutional.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Judge Emily Marks had previously allowed the execution to proceed, arguing that no execution is entirely without pain.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Abraham Bonowitz of the group Death Penalty Action leads a demonstration against the death penalty in Montgomery, Alabama, on June 8 [Kim Chandler/AP Photo]By The Associated Press Published On 9 Jun 20269 Jun 2026A federal judge in the United States has permanently blocked Alabama from executing an inmate with nitrogen gas, after declaring that the method violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
On Tuesday, US District Judge Emily C Marks permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas. Lee was scheduled to be executed Thursday at an Alabama prison.