Death penalty put on hold in South Carolina until February
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The death penalty in South Carolina is on hold for the next few months.
According to a court order, a lawsuit from four condemned prisoners argues that electrocution and the firing squad are unconstitutional methods of execution and the denial of the right to choose between constitutional methods of execution violated the law.
State law states the default method of execution is the electric chair, but allows inmates the option of choosing a firing squad or lethal injection if available.
In the court order, the South Carolina Supreme Court said in light of the recent amendments to Section 24-3-580 of the state’s code, more arguments on the death penalty are scheduled for Feb. 6, 2024.
The suit comes in light of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) reporting it has obtained lethal injection drugs.
The SCDC, alongside Governor Henry McMaster, informed the state Supreme Court about the carry out of the lethal injection in September.
In February, McMaster called on the General Assembly to pass a Shield Statute. It was signed into law in May with protections that include protecting the identities of the people or entities involved in the planning or execution of a death sentence.
Read the court order here:
Order 1 by Mayra Parrilla on Scribd
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