Opinion ID: 1822656
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: history of lethal injection in florida

Text: In 2000, the Florida Legislature provided for a new method of execution: lethal injection. See ch.2000-1, § 1, Laws of Fla. [17] Section 922.105(1) now provides: A death sentence shall be executed by lethal injection, unless the person sentenced to death affirmatively elects to be executed by electrocution. See § 922.105(1), Fla. Stat. (2006). The statute does not provide the specific procedures to be followed or the drugs to be used in lethal injection; instead it expressly provides that the policies and procedures created by the DOC for execution shall be exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 120, Florida Statutes. See § 922.105(7), Fla. Stat. (2006); Sims v. State, 754 So.2d 657, 670 (Fla.2000). Shortly after the amendment of section 922.105, Terry Sims challenged the lethal injection protocol in effect in 2000 as failing to provide sufficient details and procedures for administering lethal injection. Sims, 754 So.2d at 666. The issues raised by Sims included: reported problems in correctly administering lethal injections in other states; lack of guidelines for handling problems that may occur; lack of specification as to the duties of each participant; and conflict between the protocol and testimony as to what should occur if the inmate does not expire after the initial injections. Id. At an evidentiary hearing before the circuit court, Sims presented expert testimony concerning specific examples of botched executions that occurred in other states. He further presented expert testimony concerning potential problems such as too low a dose of sodium pentothal being administered, which would make pain more acute, or the drugs not being given in the proper order. It was undisputed in Sims that the dosage levels set forth in the protocol, if administered correctly, would result in a quick and relatively painless death. The Court rejected Sims' claim that the DOC's execution day protocol failed to provide sufficient details and procedures for administering lethal injection, relying upon LaGrand v. Lewis, 883 F.Supp. 469 (D.Ariz.1995), aff'd sub nom. LaGrand v. Stewart, 133 F.3d 1253 (9th Cir.1998), where that court held that the Arizona lethal injection protocol did not expose a prisoner to more than a negligible risk of being subjected to a cruel and wanton infliction of pain. Sims, 754 So.2d at 667 (quoting LaGrand, 883 F.Supp. at 471). After noting that Sims raised similar challenges to the sufficiency of the written protocol and after reviewing all of the evidence presented in that case, this Court denied Sims' challenge, concluding: Sims' reliance on Professor Radelet and Dr. Lipman's testimony concerning the list of horribles that could happen if a mishap occurs during the execution does not sufficiently demonstrate that the procedures currently in place are not adequate to accomplish the intended result in a painless manner. Other than demonstrating a failure to reduce every aspect of the procedure to writing, Sims has not shown that the DOC procedures will subject him to pain or degradation if carried out as planned. Sims' argument centers solely on what may happen if something goes wrong. From our review of the record, we find that the DOC has established procedures to be followed in administering the lethal injection and we rely on the accuracy of the testimony by the DOC personnel who explained such procedures at the hearing below. Thus, we conclude that the procedures for administering the lethal injection as attested do not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Sims, 754 So.2d at 668. After this Court rejected Sims' challenges to the lethal injection protocol, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari review. See Sims v. Florida, 528 U.S. 1183, 120 S.Ct. 1233, 145 L.Ed.2d 1122 (2000). In the same year Sims was decided, this Court decided Provenzano v. State, 761 So.2d 1097 (Fla.2000) ( Provenzano III ), upholding lethal injection as follows: [T]his Court [previously] stated that there is a presumption that the members of the executive branch will properly perform their duties in carrying out an execution. The circuit court determined that there has been no showing of abuse or cruel or unusual punishment in this case. There is competent, substantial evidence in the record to support this conclusion. Therefore, we hold that execution by lethal injection does not amount to cruel and/or unusual punishment. Id. at 1099 (citation omitted). The Sims holding has been since reaffirmed in many cases. [18] See, e.g., Diaz v. State, 945 So.2d 1136, 1144 (Fla.2006); Rolling v. State, 944 So.2d 176, 179 (Fla.2006); Rutherford v. State, 926 So.2d 1100, 1113 (Fla.2006); Hill v. State, 921 So.2d 579, 583 (Fla.2006); Parker v. State, 904 So.2d 370, 380 (Fla. 2005); Thompson v. State, 796 So.2d 511, 515 (Fla.2001); Bryan v. State, 753 So.2d 1244, 1254 (Fla.2000).