Utah Legislature Considers Bringing Back an Outlawed Method of Execution, but Not Everyone Agrees

After remaining deadlocked in a four hour debate last Friday, the Utah Legislature is now one step closer to resurrecting the firing squad as a death penalty option. The use of firing squads in the state of Utah was halted in 2004 and current law states it is only to be used if lethal injection is unavailable.

Proponents of the bill cite recent cases in Arizona and Colorado, where botched lethal injections have led to potential Supreme Court challenges to the method.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Paul Ray (R-Clearfield), has voiced concerns over the unavailability and potential future legal issues with lethal injection as a mode of carrying out the death penalty:

“Back in 2004, we had no idea that at some time we would not have the drug cocktail available…we are facing a situation where we are going to have to go to court…to defend what we’re doing.”

(Read more about the possibility of bringing back the outlawed method of execution HERE)

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