Justice activist groups are leading a panel discussion about the impact of the death penalty in Alabama. This comes as a federal judge is deciding whether to allow the State to use nitrogen hypoxia again next month to put an inmate to death, following testimony on Tuesday about over happened during the nation’s first two nitrogen gas executions.
Attorneys for Carey Dale Grayson are asking a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction to block the prisoner's scheduled Nov. 21 execution with nitrogen gas. The attorneys say Alabama officials must make changes to the procedure, adding in a court filing that state officials “have chosen to ignore clear and obvious signs the current protocol contains major problems.”
Alabama is asking the judge to let the execution proceed as planned, writing in a court filing that it's time for “Grayson’s lawful sentence to be carried out.”
Alabama has carried out two executions with nitrogen gas. Kenneth Smith was put to death in January in the nation's first execution with nitrogen gas and Alan Miller was put to death last month.
Media witnesses, including The Associated Press, described how the inmates shook on the gurney for two minutes or longer, the movements followed by what appeared to be several minutes of periodic labored breaths with long pauses in between.
On Thursday, Oct. 10 the ACLU of Alabama and the Alabama Post-Conviction Relief Project (APCRP) will lead a panel discussion about the impact of the death penalty in Alabama. The event will take place at The Station at 5 Points at 400 Mobile Street in Montgomery at 6:00 p.m.
The nonprofit says next tonight's panel, “Beyond the Sentence: The Impact of the Death Penalty,” will also include family members of individuals on death row and others working with individuals who are directly affected by it.
Each will share their personal experiences and discuss the emotional and social consequences of the death penalty. Father Manuel Williams, the current Pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church and Director of Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, will provide a keynote message.
There are approximately 162 people on death row in Alabama, and since 1983, Alabama has executed 73 individuals, reports the ACLU of Alabama. All but one were men.
Alabama is the only government in the world ever to execute a person with nitrogen gas. Only Texas has executed more people in 2024. Alabama has two more executions scheduled before the end of the year.
Speakers of the panel discussion include:
- Laurel Hattix (Moderator), Staff Attorney, The ACLU of Alabama
- LeAndrew Hood, Organizer and eldest son of Rocky Myers
- Eric Brown, Attorney working on death penalty cases
- Miriam Bankston, Social worker working with people on death row
- Callie Greer, Advocate and Community Organizer
- Father Manuel Williams, Pastor, Resurrection Catholic Church and Director, Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South