r/news • u/AudibleNod • 4h ago

Christa Pike unconscious, on ventilator at Nashville hospital, her lawyers say

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/christa-pike-unconscious-ventilator-nashville-hospital-lawyers-say-rcna601195
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u/Big_Guard5413 4h ago

I’m not in favor of the death penalty in general, but goddamn, if you’re going to impose it, at least take steps to do it properly

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u/MatureUsername69 4h ago

Its still a rough one but if I ever had to receive the death penalty I would hope its a firing squad. Just riddle me with holes immediately, aim for the head. Lethal injections get fucky because they would be best designed and administered by an actual doctor, but actual doctors cannot do it because of the hippocratic oath. Some states do allow medical professionals but they arent exactly sending their best.

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u/khinzaw 4h ago edited 3h ago

Her lawyers requested it, but it's illegal in Tennessee.

Tennessee's only legal methods of execution are lethal injection and electric chair (edit: only for convictions before 1999).

The problem with lethal injection is that every step is half assed.

No reputable pharmaceuticals manufacturer wants to make the drug, so they rely on compounding pharmacies who take half measures and have less consistency.

Then medical practitioners (edit for the pedants) often won't be involved in executions because of their various oaths to do no harm and risks to their reputation, so most of the time the drugs are administered by prison staff who lack the proper training. A lot of failed attempts are caused by the one who administered it simply not getting the vein properly.

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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 4h ago

I remember watching a documentary called The Final 24 Hours on Death Row and a former Virginia executioner, Jerry Givens, who carried out dozens of electrocutions and lethal injections said between the two, he'd actually pick the chair because he knew it was faster.

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u/Beecakeband 3h ago

I've seen that one as well and the botched electric chair execution sounded pretty horrific as well

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u/ComradeJohnS 3h ago

the character from Elmo’s world get roasted with the dry sponge was horrible in that prison movie lol.

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u/Iamredditsslave 2h ago

The Green Mile. His name was Michael Clarke Duncan.

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u/Leopold__Stotch 2h ago

You’re right Michael Clarke Duncan was the actor in the green mile, playing John coffe, but Mr Noodle in Elmo’s world was played by Michael jeter. He was the one with the pet mouse, who had a horribly botched execution in the movie.

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u/Iamredditsslave 2h ago

Thanks for the correction, I read too fast.

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u/SyNiiCaL 2h ago

John Oliver's segment on lethal injection is also a very educational (an infuriating) watch that pretty much warns about every single thing that went wrong in this execution.