Supreme Court Allows First Federal Execution In 17 Years

The Supreme Court overturned a injunction that blocked the federal government’s lethal injection protocol for federal executions  The District Court judge in Washington had ordered a halt to four upcoming scheduled executions.  Last year, William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, made an announcement that the government would again proceed with federal executions for inmates on death row.  Over the past year, the issue has bounced around the appeals courts until the Supreme Court ruling early this morning.  This clears the way for Daniel Lewis, a convicted murderer, to be executed.  There are still 3 other appeals pending at the Supreme Court seeking to delay the execution.  The court voted 5-4 in this decision.  In one of the dissents, Justice Stephen Breyer said: “The resumption of federal executions promises to provide examples that illustrate the difficulties of administering the death penalty consistent with the Constitution.”