GLOSSIP v. GROSS

Hye Min Shin
AP Gov

Glossip v. Gross

In April 29, 2014, a death execution of Clay Lockett was carried on in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. During the execution Lockett received a three-drug lethal injection that could both render someone unconscious and kill them at the same time. However, the first portion of the drug that should have rendered Lockett unconscious failed to work and Lockett underwent a severe, excruciating pain (burning sensation from inside and out) for 40 minutes before he passed away. Consequently after watching him suffer, other death-row inmates sued Oklahoma for violating eighth Amendment which forbids "crude and unusual punishment" and demanded it should delay death executions. Supreme Court refused to "grant the petition" by Writ of Centiorari. (Oyez)


I understand why the death-row inmates have filed this case and demand Oklahoma to change its lethal injection. Nobody would ever want to face a painful death. However, then again, these people should have committed numerous crimes in order to be sentenced to death. This makes me ponder, ' don't they deserve the  pain?' Since they made other people suffer through death or through other crimes, it's a karma. Back to the point, I believe the Oklahoma State Penitentiary did violate the Eighth Amendment and should change its lethal drug to more efficient one.
It relates to the Civil Rights chapter since it deals with Supreme Court case and Civil Rights.