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Supreme Court Keeps Federal Executions on Hold

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday blocked the Trump
   administration from restarting federal executions next week after a
   16-year break.

   The justices denied the administration's plea to undo
   alower-courtruling in favor of inmates who have been given execution
   dates. The first of those had been scheduled forDecember 9, with a
   second set forDecember 13. Two more inmates had been given execution
   dates in January.

   Attorney General William Barr announced during the summer that federal
   executions would resume using a single drug, pentobarbital, to put
   inmates to death.

   U.S. District Judge TanyaChutkanin Washington temporarily halted the
   executions after some of the chosen inmates challenged the new
   execution procedures in court.Chutkanruled that the procedure approved
   by Barrmostlikely violates the Federal Death Penalty Act.

   The federal appeals court in Washington had earlier denied the
   administration's emergency plea to putChutkan'sruling on hold and allow
   the executions to proceed.

   Longer delay

   Federal executions are likely to remain on hold at least for several
   months, while the appeals court in Washington undertakes a full review
   ofChutkan'sruling.

   The Supreme Court justices directed the appeals court to act ``with
   appropriate dispatch.''

   Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a short separate opinion that he believes
   the government ultimately will win the case and would have set a 60-day
   deadline for appeals court action. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett
   Kavanaugh joined Alito's opinion.

   Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the legal fight would
   continue. ``While we are disappointed with the ruling, we will argue
   the case on its merits in the D.C. Circuit and, if necessary, the
   SupremeCourt,`` Kupec said in a statement.

   Four inmates won temporary reprieves from the court rulings. Danny Lee
   was the first inmate scheduled for execution, at 8 o'clock Monday
   morning. Lee was convicted of killing a family of three, including an
   8-year-old.

   Inmate with dementia

   The government had plannednextFriday to execute Wesley Ira Purkey, who
   raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl and killed an 80-year-old woman.
   His lawyers say Purkey is suffering from dementia and he has a separate
   lawsuit pending in federal court in Washington.

   Then in January, executions had been scheduled for Alfred Bourgeois,
   who tortured, molested and then beat his2½-year-old daughter to death,
   and Dustin LeeHonken, who killed five people, including two children.

   A fifth inmate,LezmondMitchell, has had his execution blocked by the
   federal appeals court in San Francisco over questions of bias against
   Native Americans. Mitchell beheaded a 63-year-old woman and her
   9-year-old granddaughter.

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