Arizona Tried To Illegally Import Execution Drug, Documents Show

Arizona Tried To Illegally Import Execution Drug, Documents Show

Ok. You can't make this # up. APPARENTLY Arizona just got busted in a drug sting. Importing illegal drugs used to execute people. Apparently Arizona's addiction to the death penalty has forces the state onto the black market to get its fix.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona tried to illegally import a lethal injection drug that's not approved in the U.S. but never obtained it after federal agents stopped the shipment at the Phoenix airport, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Arizona paid nearly $27,000 for sodium thiopental, an anesthetic that has been used to carry out executions but is no longer manufactured by FDA-approved companies, the documents said. When the drugs arrived via British Airways at the Phoenix International Airport in July, they were seized by federal officials and have not been released, according to the documents.

Oh it gets better. Arizona is contesting the seizure.

"The department is contesting FDA's legal authority to continue to withhold the state's execution chemicals," state Department of Corrections spokesman Andrew Wilder said Thursday.

The state's execution chemicals? The ones obtained illegally? Well if the FDA doesn't have legal authority to hold those chemicals, who does? It sure as crap isn't Arizona.

Arizona and other death penalty states have been struggling to obtain legal execution drugs for several years after European companies refused to sell the drugs, including sodium thiopental, that have been used to carry out executions. States have had to change drug combinations or, in some cases, put executions on hold temporarily as they look for other options.

Maybe Arizona could try, oh I dunno... NOT executing people? Not that I have a huge problem with executing very evil people. I feel like it IS a waste of money, especially since the death penalty is more expensive than life in jail. But there ARE some evil and unredeemable people out there, but man if you HAVE to stoop to breaking drug laws to get the stuff to kill people, MAYBE you should ween off the killing a bit.

Other states also have looked into buying drugs from international pharmacies. Ohio, which has halted executions until at least 2017 because of a lack of drugs, sent a letter earlier this month to the FDA asserting that the state believes it can obtain a lethal-injection drug from overseas without violating any laws.

At least Ohio knows what's up. Oh and Arizona is currently on hold with executions ANYWAYS.

Executions have been placed on hold in Arizona following the lengthy death of Joseph Rudolph Wood in July 2014. The state has said it doesn't plan on seeking death warrants for inmates until it resolves a lawsuit originally filed by Wood and other death row inmates seeking information about the drugs used in executions. It has also said that when it resumes executions, it will no longer administer the drugs used in Wood's execution, which did not include sodium thiopental.

Who's running this state? Gomer Pyle?

Good find! Great documentation of the absolutely ludicrous.

Evidence like this only goes to show, the American right-wing is authoritarian, not libertarian, at its core.

a reply to: Gryphon66

Yea. Apparently punishing evil doers is worth being evil over.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Gryphon66

Yea. Apparently punishing evil doers is worth being evil over.

Well the actions of sheriff joe prove that.

If I was tge USA id consider kicking Arizona from the union and ket them be there own little tyranny.
Not like tge rest of the USA would miss them

a reply to: crazyewok

As much as I hate Sheriff Joe (and trust me I loath him), he is only the Sheriff in Maricopa County not the whole state. Though a state that supports an ass like Joe can't be too awesome either...

I think the quickest, most painless, and most honorable death would be getting a bullet between the eyes.

I'm starting to see why that's usually reservered for soldiers in war time, because it's too good of a method for prisoners.

Unless you need to kill them quickly. But anyways, with all of the gun shenanigans going on and continuing to go on, people would see it as barbaric if a state started doing it.

Well, what about hanging? That's not so bad, probably as quick or quicker than an injection.

I don't think the gas chamber or electric chair will fly, though. One is too complex and theoretically dangerous (and Nazi-ish) while the other is too messy.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Arizona should just do like Utah and bring back the firing squad. Then you have the lethal injection drug readily available on hand.

And this part:

Apparently Arizona's addiction to the death penalty has forces the state onto the black market to get its fix.

Not quite the death penalty addiction you imply. They had only 14 executions from 2010 until the lengthy death of Joseph Rudolph Wood in July 2014.
Link

What's surprising is that of those 14 executions, 79% were done to white males. Shocking for a "Racist" State like Arizona.
Bring back the firing squad, and there will be no more lengthy deaths.

originally posted by: harvestdog
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Arizona should just do like Utah and bring back the firing squad. Then you have the lethal injection drug readily available on hand.

Have they used it yet?

Btw, I find it downright hilarious that state judicial systems will create laws to put people to death, then sentence them to death, then fight to keep them sentenced to death in each appeal, but then keep them alive and locked up because they can't get a proper method down to just put them out of their misery, and ours.

a reply to: r0xor

What about a heroin overdose? Lord knows there's plenty of that to go around. And seeing as how Arizona doesn't mind skirting drug laws, that idea sounds like something right up their alley.

a reply to: harvestdog

So why the big need to procure these drugs then?

What was that phrase again ... "pro-life"?

Protecting life only counts until humans get here ... and then apparently they're fair game?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: r0xor

What about a heroin overdose? Lord knows there's plenty of that to go around. And seeing as how Arizona doesn't mind skirting drug laws, that idea sounds like something right up their alley.

It'd be momentarily too satisfying before the person died a #ty death.

Plus, it's illegal, you'd have to use Fentanyl instead.

Also, it'd be painless, yet take a while. And that death is just the same as suffocating, except you aren't concious to feel it.

a reply to: r0xor
No. Well, they have only had 1 execution in the last 13 years. That was firing squad at the request of the inmate.
It is on the table for the next execution, if they don`t have the injection drug on hand.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: crazyewok

As much as I hate Sheriff Joe (and trust me I loath him), he is only the Sheriff in Maricopa County not the whole state. Though a state that supports an ass like Joe can't be too awesome either...

Well thats my point . If they can appointed a "man" and I use the word loosely for a tyrant like him for just a county it speaks badly for the rest of the state.

Hell it produced John McCain for christs sake!

originally posted by: harvestdog
a reply to: r0xor
No. Well, they have only had 1 execution in the last 13 years. That was firing squad at the request of the inmate.
It is on the table for the next execution, if they don`t have the injection drug on hand.

Why sentence people to death if you're not going to kill them in a reasonable amount of time? I mean, after the appeals are done?

originally posted by: r0xor

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: r0xor

What about a heroin overdose? Lord knows there's plenty of that to go around. And seeing as how Arizona doesn't mind skirting drug laws, that idea sounds like something right up their alley.

It'd be momentarily too satisfying before the person died a #ty death.

Plus, it's illegal, you'd have to use Fentanyl instead.

Also, it'd be painless, yet take a while. And that death is just the same as suffocating, except you aren't concious to feel it.

Well as harvestdog pointed out, they don't execute people all that often, so who cares if it takes awhile?

a reply to: crazyewok

Yeah, I just really don't like to judge the whole for the actions of the few.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: harvestdog

So why the big need to procure these drugs then?

Because lethal injection is their form of execution. Without the drug, they can`t perform their duty.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: crazyewok

Yeah, I just really don't like to judge the whole for the actions of the few.

John McCain need I say more?


Ok jokeing aside I see your point. Not everyone there is going to be that bad......i hope.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

Well as harvestdog pointed out, they don't execute people all that often, so who cares if it takes awhile?

So no unnecessary suffering during death, understood. Then the issue is that there are opponents to the death penalty embedded in all spheres of influence here, because why would they take so long to execute people, not expedite the issue? And why would there be such a difficulty in getting the drugs to kill someone? Lastly, why should the drug being used really matter that much?

There's probably people fighting to keep these death row inmates alive at every turn.

Since they don't want them to suffer unnecessarily before death, why don't they just start building really nice super maximum security hotels? I mean, basicly an existing super max except with an awesome array of cable tv channels and gourmet meals?