Federal Judge Halts Louisiana's First Nitrogen Gas Execution

The ruling cites concerns over potential cruelty and constitutional violations as the state plans to appeal.

Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick issued a temporary injunction, blocking the execution of Jessie Hoffman, scheduled for March 18, using nitrogen hypoxia.
The judge ruled that the untested execution method could cause significant pain and suffering, potentially violating the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
Hoffman's attorneys argued that the method would exacerbate his PTSD and interfere with his Buddhist breathing practices, while experts compared the sensation to drowning.
Louisiana selected nitrogen hypoxia due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs and the absence of a functional electric chair, modeling its system after Alabama's recent executions using the method.
The state plans to appeal the ruling, while critics, including religious groups and medical experts, have raised ethical and procedural concerns about the use of nitrogen gas for executions.