Federal judge opens hearing on Oklahoma’s lethal injection

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Testimony has begun in a case brought by more than two dozen Oklahoma death row inmates who are challenging the state’s lethal injection protocols. U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot began hearing testimony on Monday. Attorneys for the inmates argue that the use of the sedative midazolam as the first of the state’s three-drug method creates an unconstitutional risk of severe pain and suffering. The state maintains that a 500-miligram dose of the drug is enough to ensure that inmates are unable to feel pain. The trial is expected to last at least a week. Oklahoma has executed four inmates since October using the three-drug method.