In Columbus, Ohio, a judge has rejected an inmate’s claim that he should not be executed because he is obese. Death row inmate Ronald Post shot and killed a hotel clerk, Helen Vantz, in northern Ohio nearly thirty years ago and has been on death row since he was convicted of the crime. Post has asked for his execution to be delayed because his extreme weight could lead to a “torturous and lingering death.” The judge has rejected his claim because there are not enough issues to warrant a legal challenge. This is the second time that Post has asked for the delay in his execution. The first time he challenged his execution was in 1997 with similar claims. Post weighs nearly 480 pounds. There have been situations with previous death row inmates that were considered to be obese where it took hours to find the inmates veins. Post’s lawyers argue that his weight will make it difficult for the execution team to find a viable vein for lethal injection.
The question of whether or not execution is humane punishment has been a long standing debate among many in the U.S. The U.S. has made it possible for the executions to be as humane as possible by using lethal injections, where the inmate is put to sleep before given the dose of the deadly second and third medications. So, in Post’s case, he is trying to convince the judge that because of his weight, the lethal injection would actually cause him pain during his dying moments. In other words, he’s trying to say that the lethal injection would be inhumane, therefore should be postponed until he is at a safe weight for the execution.
The guy is on death row for a capital crime. The question that the judge is probably asking himself is whether or not it matters if Post suffers any pain at all while he is dying. He obviously had to make his decision with valid reasons behind it, but it really is a question of where the judge stands on the issue. In the United States, only 37 of the 50 states utilize the death penalty. For the people that were directly affected by the murder he committed, I’m pretty sure they could care less about how much pain Post will be in if his weight alters the process of the lethal injection. Post would need to come up with a better supported argument than just the pain issue.
1 comment:
My classmate Lucy, brought up a good case for discussion in Blog 7, and I would like to add a little commentary on additional points. In my opinion this case (as well as other precedents) highlights the need for Ohio state and others to re-evaluate their execution methods to fit different cases, and consider back-up ways.
As if the death penalty itself is not already a hot ethical issue, now we have a different feature attached to it: "I am too fat to be executed, and could die in pain".
Usually the doses of the medications used to give the lethal injections are adjusted according to the inmate's weight, it shouldn't be any different than for other people, Post will just get higher doses of each substance in order to be effective.
What I don't understand is why do they have to use only peripheral intravenous accesses, when there are central lines or other
more specialized methods to access deeper veins even in obese people?
If these procedures are too expensive to be considered, let's look at the cost of keeping a death-row inmate since 1997 in prison, after the first
execution was delayed on similar claims. He managed to reach 480 lbs. eating in prison on taxpayer's money and even requested
gastric bypass surgery, a procedure used to limit the volume capacity of the stomach.
The latest development in this case is that now after 30 years since he committed the crime, Post want to use the delay
of the execution to re-open the case and prove that in fact, he is innocent of the crime against Helen Ventz.
He said that the confessions about the crime made to several people have been falsely exaggerated and he was "complicit in the robbery" but did not enter the hotel personally.
His second parole hearing is on December 6. A federal judge in Columbus plans a hearing next month
on a claim as part of an unrelated lawsuit, challenging Ohio's lethal injection procedures.
The struggle to find a humane way to deliberately put people to death, could be tortuous and
ironic in the same time, because there is no such a thing. There have been reports that the lethal injection, especially the second substance in line, pancuronium, causes "anesthesia awareness" and some inmates trashed violently
on the gurney and exhibited signs of pain. Ohio has only one injection, a lethal dose of pentobarbital, but it could take longer to reach the desired effect.
If the death penalty is used, it should be re-enforced more clearly to address issues like these and prevent spending taxpayers money on cases that drag on for so many years.
Other countries with the death penalty, such as Iran, have similar rules. In order for a condemned person to be executed, a doctor has to examine the inmate and declare him/her healthy. But obesity in itself is not a disease, is a condition that can lead to illness.
Arguments like those of Ronald Post based on pain and weight can delay execution because of flaws in the legal system and lack of flexibility to address effectively different situations.
He is scheduled to be executed on January 16th, 2013.
The lethal injection is seen as more humane also because is less gory, there is no splattered blood or visible injury. It's a clean method.
Finally, what's wrong with two bullets in the head for Ronald Post as method of execution?
After all, he cut short Helen Ventz's life in the same way for a couple of dollars.
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57514534-504083/ronald-post-ohio-death-row-inmate-wants-his-execution-delayed-because-he-is-too-obese/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/ronald-post-inmate_n_2005927.htm
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