An EASY FIX from South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board

Death Penalty

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-editgsdeathdec19,0,5935489.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board Posted December 19 2006


ISSUE: Executions halted in Florida.Gov. Jeb Bush did the prudent thing when he suspended the death penalty in Florida following a botched execution last week.

The key word is "suspended" -- not "eliminated."

This is not a debate over the death penalty itself, but the process by which it was administered.

The death penalty is always going to be a controversial, hot-button issue, and it should be. Signing a death warrant is the most solemn task a governor has, never taken lightly. There has been controversy over whether the death penalty is a deterrent, whether it is applied equitably, whether incessant appeals diminish its effectiveness, and whether the state should be in the business of putting people to death. All are fair issues to debate.But the death penalty is the law in 38 states.

And Florida's system of lethal injection is far more humane than the electric chair. Execution witnesses often say the death chamber scene is serene. Families of murder victims have said it's actually too humane.


There were obvious problems last week with the execution of killer Angel Nieves Diaz, with the process requiring double the normal dosage of chemicals and, at half an hour, more than twice the amount of time.In addition to stopping the signing of death warrants, Bush created a commission to examine the lethal injection process, with a report due by March 1.

All steps must be taken to make sure the actual execution process is performed correctly. And the state should make sure it figures out a way to properly train those who administer the chemicals.

But it is difficult to put much stock in those who say the condemned might feel some pain with lethal injection. How do we know that? And is there a totally painless way to be executed?

The state needs to determine and fix the causes of last week's problems, and then resume carrying out the death penalty as instructed by the courts.

BOTTOM LINE: Fix the problems, then follow the law.