Alabama resumes capital punishment: Man executed for murdering a woman
File photo of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey
Alabama executed a man on Friday (July 21) in a move thatofficially marks theresumption ofcapital punishment in the US state.James Barber, aged 64,was convicted of brutally murdering 75-year-old Dorothy Epps during a robbery at her home in Harvest in 2001.
The execution, the state's first since February,tookplace at the William Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore via lethal injection, reported Reuters.
In response to a series of botched executions last year, Governor Kay Ivey halted capital punishment in November and initiated a review of the lethal injection process in Alabama.
The suspension aimed to address concerns surrounding the execution procedures. After implementing improvements, such as adding medical professionals, acquiring new equipment, and conducting rehearsals for executions, Governor Ivey lifted the suspension and allowed executions to resume.
The state also extended the time permitted for an execution to be completed before the expiration of the death warrant.
Barber's appeal denied
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James Barber made a last-minute appeal to the United States Court of Appeals, contending that his execution should be halted due to the substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" posed by current protocols. However, the court denied his appeal on Wednesday (July 19), clearing the path for his execution.
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Controversy surrounding capital punishment
Capital punishment in the United States has been mired in legal and ethical debates, primarily due to the occurrence of botched executions and challenges in obtaining the necessary drugs for lethal injections.
In recent years, the number of executions in the country has significantly decreased compared to a record high of 98 executions in 1999. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976.
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Execution statistics
According to data from the Death Penalty Information Centre, 78 death row inmates have been executed in the United States over the past five years. This decline in the number of executions reflects the ongoing debates surrounding the use of the death penalty as a form of punishment.
(With inputs from agencies)
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