A federal judge on Wednesday questioned Alabama officials about the state's lethal injection procedures — including how many needle “pokes” are too many — after problems with vein access at the state's last two scheduled executions.
U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. put forth the questions during a court hearing in a lawsuit filed by Kenneth Eugene Smith, who is seeking to block his upcoming Nov. 17 execution. His attorneys have pointed to problems at recent lethal injections. Alabama called off a lethal injection last month after having trouble accessing the veins of the 351-pound (159-kilogram) inmate, and advocacy groups have alleged a July execution, carried out after a lengthy delay, was botched.
