Amidst seemingly little attention, federal government seemingly poised to carry out two more executions this week
As partially covered here and here, there was considerable media attention as well as considerable last-minute litigation as the US Justice Department moved forward with plans for, and ultimately completed, three federal executions in a single week in July. Now another federal capital week looms, as federal officials are scheduled to execute by lethal injection Lezmond Mitchell on Wednesday, August 26 and Keith Dwayne Nelson on Friday, August 28 (and the feds have yet another double-death week planned for September with William LeCroy scheduled for execution on September 22 and Christopher Vialva scheduled for execution on September 24). But, as the title of this post suggests, I sense this second round of federal executions is getting a lot less attention than even the usual state execution typically does.
Notably, Lezmond Mitchell has some pending claims before the Supreme Court (SCOTUSblog coverage here), and the fact that he is the only Native American on federal death row has generated some media coverage as highlighted by these stories:
- From the Arizona Republic, "Scheduled federal execution of Navajo man raises sovereignty concerns"
- From CNN, "The US plans to execute the only Native American on federal death row against the Navajo Nation's wishes"
- From the Los Angeles Times, "Upcoming execution of Native American man stirs emotion within tribe"
But even with these pieces and some additional critical commentary, it still seems like the planned federal execution of Lezmond Mitchell is getting less attention than I might have expected. Even more remarkable, I cannot seem to find a single detailed press piece written recently about Keith Dwayne Nelson and his pending federal execution. I surmise that Nelson does not have any legal appeals pending, but that fact alone would be remarkable (and press-worthy) if anyone were closely paying attention.
It is not hard to understand why these matters are not getting much attention. An enduring pandemic, an election season, back-to-school challenges, wildfires and hurricanes, protests and so much else all make for much better "copy" for the media. Moreover, as suggested in this post, there may be less legal drama around these cases after SCOTUS made clear last month that it would be eager to lift lower court stays to enable executions to move forward on the schedule set by Attorney General Barr. Still, I had to remark on how remarkable it seems to me that this week's executions now seem so likely to go forward with relatively so little attention.
A few of many recent prior related posts:
- Justice Department announces the scheduling of four new federal execution dates
- SCOTUS, by 5-4 vote, vacates new injunction that had been blocking scheduled federal executions ... UPDATE: execution of Daniel Lewis Lee now completed
- Federal execution déjà vu: after SCOTUS votes 5-4 to vacate injunction, feds complete another morning lethal injection
- Feds, revving up machinery of death, complete third execution of week
- How many federal death row prisoners does Attorney General William Barr want to see executed in 2020?
- US Department of Justice sets another execution date for last week of August
- US Department of Justice sets two execution dates for late September
UPDATE: I failed to see this Friday afternoon press report on noting that Nelson's lawyers have joined in filings about the federal government's executions methods, which is headlined "Lawyers: Autopsy suggests inmate suffered during execution." Here are the basics:
An inmate suffered “extreme pain" as he received a dose of pentobarbital during just the second federal execution following a 17-year lag, according to court filings by lawyers representing one of the inmates scheduled to be executed next. The claim Wesley Purkey may have felt a sensation akin to drowning while immobilized but conscious is disputed by Department of Justice attorneys. They insist the first three lethal injections since 2003 were carried out without a hitch last month at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
This month's filings were part of motions to halt the execution of Keith Nelson, convicted in the 1999 rape and strangulation of 10-year-old Pamela Butler. Prosecutors said he pulled her into his truck as she skated on rollerblades back to her Kansas home after buying herself cookies. Nelson’s execution is set for Aug. 28. The execution of Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on federal death row, is scheduled for Aug. 26. His lawyers have made similar arguments.
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