05 April 2012 :

Ohio can resume executions, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost rules. Ohio's 1st execution in 6 months can proceed, a federal judge ruled today, saying it appears the state is serious about following its own lethal injection procedures. The decision by U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost ends an unofficial moratorium dating to November, when members of the Ohio execution team deviated from the official injection procedures when putting a man to death. The changes were minor — failing to properly check a box on a medical form, for example — but they angered Frost, who had previously criticized the state for failing to follow its rules. The judge's decision followed a seven-day trial over the state's lethal injection process last month. The ruling paves the way for the April 18 execution of Mark Wiles. Frost said today he is "admittedly skeptical" about Ohio's ability to carry the execution out properly, but said he's ruling in favor of the state, while warning officials to get it right. In July, Frost scolded the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for what he called haphazard and embarrassing deviations to its own rules. In response, Ohio rewrote its policies and said it would follow them in the future. With those changes in place, Frost allowed the execution of Reginald Brooks on November 4, 2011 (see). Following that execution, on Jan. 11 (see) Frost again said the state hadn't followed its rules. He criticized Ohio for switching the official whose job it is to announce the start and finish times of the lethal injection and failing to properly document that the inmate's medical chart was reviewed. Frost has never found Ohio's execution process unconstitutional, meaning the delays have been based on technical questions about lethal injection.