COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A veteran public defender says Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine should delay all currently scheduled executions while the state comes up with a new lethal injection system.
David Stebbins is a Columbus-based federal defense attorney. He calls DeWine’s Thursday decision to postpone three executions commendable but said more must be done.
DeWine, a Republican, ordered the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to create a new injection process after a federal judge’s scathing critique in January of the current method. He’s now delayed four executions in total since that order.
Stebbins says there’s no guarantee that any system the state comes up with will be ready in time for the next scheduled execution in September.
Ohio has 23 executions scheduled over the next four years.
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