Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court made a startling change to the state's execution procedures. Instead of requiring that executions occur during a specific date, the governor will now have the sole authority to set a "time frame" during which executions can be carried out. The change is unprecedented in the United States.
While the change seems minor, it has major ramifications for death-row inmates. When attempts to execute an inmate drag on for too long, they were previously required to cease by midnight on the execution date if unsuccessful. However, with the new change, prison officials will be able to drag out an execution attempt over days.
