
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a warrant to execute a prisoner even though the state’s new Democratic attorney general tried to withdraw her Republican predecessor’s request to carry out the execution.
The decision to schedule the execution of Aaron Gunches came six weeks after Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office said it wasn’t going to seek court orders to execute prisoners until a review ordered by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of death penalty procedures is completed. The state has a history of mismanaging executions.