Official: Florida Botched Execution
Medical Official Says Inmate's Execution Took Longer Because Needles Missed Veins
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This undated handout image from the Florida Department of Corrections shows Angel Nieves Diaz, who was executed by lethal injection on Dec. 13, 2006. (AP)
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A hearse carries the body of Angel Nieves Diaz outside the Florida State Prison Department of Corrections in Starke, Fla., after he was executed on Dec. 13, 2006. (AP)
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Dr. William Hamilton, who performed the autopsy, said the needles pierced Angel Nieves Diaz's veins and then went into soft tissue in his arms. The lethal chemicals are supposed to go directly into the veins.
Hamilton refused to say whether he thought Diaz died a painful death.
"I am going to defer answers about pain and suffering until the autopsy is complete," he said. He said the results were preliminary and toxicology tests and other tests may take several weeks.
As a result of the chemicals going into his arms, around the elbow, he had an 12-inch chemical burn on his right arm and an 11-inch chemical burn on his left arm, Hamilton said.
Florida Corrections Secretary James McDonough said the execution team did not see any swelling of the arms, which would have been an indication that the chemicals were going into tissues and not veins.
Hamilton also said that although there were records that Diaz had hepatitis, his liver appeared normal. State corrections officials said after Wednesday's execution that Diaz had liver disease, which caused him to metabolize the lethal drugs more slowly.
Gov. Jeb Bush's office said he learned of the medical examiner's preliminary findings and has since ordered the creation of a commission to review the way lethal injection is administered in Florida.
David Elliot, spokesman for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said experts his group had contacted suspected that liver disease was not the explanation for the problem.
"Florida has certainly deservedly earned a reputation for being a state that conducts botched executions, whether its electrocution or lethal injection," Elliot said. "We just think the Florida death penalty system is broken from start to finish."
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See all 56 CommentsLiberals don't want to talk about that for some reason.
Maybe it was the knowledge that it was finally over...and his Creator wasn't too pleased with what he did?
Relative suffering is not the issue. It's not the job of man or government to take over God's role of choosing who will die when. To execute is to kill, and the first commandment says "Thou shalt not kill." There is no follow-up saying, "Unless the other guy killed first." Two wrongs don't make a right, and they don't bring the victim back either. Since the majority of conservatives are also Christians, one wonders why more don't take that attitude.
What should be done is the institution of real life sentences (meaning, you are locked up until you die) not "life sentences" that in some cases amount to less than a decade behind bars. And things like cable TV are not "rights" for prisoners. Prisoners should work, eat and sleep in jail, and that's it. No TV, no movies, no nothing. If imprisonment were a punishment, not a training ground for further crime and thus a status symbol among criminals and in some cases an actual improvement of the criminals' outside standard of living, then it would be a much more effective deterrent. It would also be a lot cheaper for the taxpayer.
Imprisonment vs. death has another advantage. With all the stories coming out recently about incorrectly convicted death row sentencees, as well, killing someone for a crime is just plain foolish. What do you say if later evidence exhonerates someone - "Oops, sorry, I'll put flowers on your grave?"
Hopefully they will not produce any more murderous males in that line. Tsk-tsk
There is absolutely no sense in the state giving it citizens lessons in vengeance and violence by its leaders murdering humans.
A murderer locked away from the rest of society for good is more than enough for any healthy society!
"Diaz's cousin Maria Otero said the family had never heard he suffered from liver disease"
Just because they didn't know doesn't make it non existing, plemty of people hide medical conditions from extended family so as not to worry them, pride, or they know their estranged family doesn't care, whatever.
Three cheers however for removing this scum!
And conservatives have such an issue with late term abortion ...
Unfortunately, many people are deeply hypocritical, as the comments here show. Sympathy for the victim and his family, although he was a strip-club owner and most likely not a model of sanctity. A wish of suffering for his killer, although no one saw the crime and the guy was convicted based on his girlfriend saying he was involved. It doesn't match, guys.
Also, I wonder how someone who thinks that the death and suffering of any other human being are "awesome" even manages to consider themselves a human. I find that sentiment utterly repulsive.
And you're also morally deficient if you think that only saints never steal or cheat. I suggest you set your personal standards higher and stop judging other people by your own behavior. You don't qualify, because small-minded f*ckwits are unlikely to slip through the Pearly Gates. The rest of us who preserve basic honesty and fidelity and don't have our heads firmly wedged up our own rectums will do just fine, thanks.
It sure does, it removes the scum permanently. Christians don't take the attitude because Christianity is founded on the worst violence, death, destruction and bloodshed- so it all fits in perfectly though they deny it and claim that was all in the past.
"What should be done is the institution of real life sentences (meaning, you are locked up until you die) not "life sentences" that in some cases amount to less than a decade behind bars."
We all know how many escape jail or kill guards- they have nothing to lose when they are sentenced to jail forever- kill a few guards and others to try and escape, even if caught the WORST they can do is send you back where you were in the first place.
But "life in jail" for MURDER should never be ten years with good behavior in any circumstances!!
Namely,
A) Occasionally after an inmate has been refused an appeal time and time again, and they've been executed, evidents arises to prove their innocence after all.
B) Follow the chain of logic: Killing another constitutes murder. Execution is the act of killing another person. Execution in the pure sense of the term could constitute murder.
C) Ever heard of the term: 'Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone'? Not that I'm defending murderers and rapists. In sentencing a murderer to death, I believe one stoops to their level.
The cruelest punishment for such an individual, I believe, is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Life in a cold cell dealing with the realization of your crimes.
Don't consider this an execution; instead, just "visualize" that this murderer was a baby, and the only thing Florida did was perform a late-term abortion.
That should ease liberal conciousness's
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I agree with the first part, however there happen to be a great many liberal Christians. This isn't a political debate anyway.
And overall, you couldn't be more wrong. The mass death, destruction, and bloodshed (Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials, etc.) was based on three things: Ignorance, injustice, and intolerance.
I can quite readily link those three I's with the support for capital punishment. It may 'remove the scum permanently', but this is based on the assertion that the American justice system is infallible, and there aren't any wrongful convictions. A decent percentage of the inmates on death row may very well be innocent of their charges, yet they will never see the light of day because a judge refuses to hear their appeals.
And they will be executed in the place of the real criminal.
This is not justice.
Don't consider this an execution; instead, just "visualize" that this murderer was a baby, and the only thing Florida did was perform a late-term abortion.
That should ease liberal conciousness's
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Posted by dsalicea at 02:49 PM : Dec 14, 2006"
That is exactly what your murderer will be thinking when he comes to execute you. LOL
So go ahead and give lessons in killing humans.
Posted by cathaleen at 02:18 PM : Dec 14, 2006"
No, we don't care, Caty.
The victim is dead for 27 years now and at a better place.
Time to give yourself some closure over the very OLD incident.
It is not wise to go out of the way to rehash the past just to be evilly vindictive.
I'm guessing since they made it a point to say that it was a "topless bar manager" that was killed, the victim would be a female, not male. Other than that, I agree whole heartedly with your statement. I just wish they didn't waste 27 years to do it, but then again, we%u2019re talking about the Bush clan, aren't we?
Don't consider this an execution; instead, just "visualize" that this murderer was a baby, and the only thing Florida did was perform a late-term abortion.
That should ease liberal conciousness's
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When it needs to be done, it needs to go faster.
Quibble Quibble, here's your check.
Quibble Quibble, here's your check.
To deny God's existance is quite a good bit more absurd than to deny your very own existance. My prayer is that God one day softens your heart and that you will not be so bitter towards him and maybe even accept that he is real and he loves you inspite of your denial.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
Don't consider this an execution; instead, just "visualize" that this murderer was a baby, and the only thing Florida did was perform a late-term abortion.
That should ease liberal conciousness's
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So you are pro-life until birth and then believe the state should kill them?
So, you are pro-life for murderers, but pro-death when it comes to cute babies?
tick,tock,tick,tock,tick,tock
tick,tock,tick,tock
still waiting
Don't consider this an execution; instead, just "visualize" that this murderer was a baby, and the only thing Florida did was perform a late-term abortion.
That should ease liberal conciousness's
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