Supreme Court Upholds Oklahoma Lethal Injection Process

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a drug used by Oklahoma as part of its lethal injection procedure does not violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling is a setback to opponents of the death penalty. The court, in a 5-4 decision, handed a loss to three inmates who objected to the use of a sedative called midazolam, saying it cannot achieve the level of unconsciousness required for surgery, making it unsuitable for executions. Justice Samuel Alito wrote on behalf of the court’s conservative majority that the inmates had, among other things, failed to show that there was an alternative method of execution available that would be less painful.