Ohio Finally Taking the Non-Pentobarbital Killing Plunge

I suppose it’s ending the year on a downer…or not, depending on how you look at it.

The Wire (fomerly The Atlantic Wire) notes that Ohio will finally implement its new pentobarbital-free execution protocol.  It was supposed to happen last month, but the condemned man at that time had his execution stayed.  Now there is an execution scheduled for January 16th.  Ohio has not been able to avail itself of the compounding pharmacy option, and will go with its two-drug cocktail of midazolam and hydromorphone.

In part, I think, due to challenges brought to the death penalty by limited drug supplies, executions in 2013 were amongst the lowest in the last 40 years.