U.S. judge denies motion seeking halt to executions in Oklahoma

By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. district judge on Monday denied an injunction seeking to halt executions in Oklahoma filed by attorneys for death row inmates who argued a troubled lethal injection in the state in April exposed deep flaws in the death chamber protocols. U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot wrote that the lawyers failed to show inmates could suffer inhumane harm, adding in a court documents posted online "that entry of a preliminary injunction would not be in the public interest." The decision allows the state to proceed with four executions scheduled for next year. The flawed lethal injection of convicted murderer Clayton Lockett led to widespread criticism and caused the state to revamp its procedures. During Lockett's execution, a doctor and paramedic attempted more than a dozen times to place an IV line, finally landing one in his groin area, a state report said. That line was improperly placed and eventually fell out, spewing lethal injection chemicals and blood in the death chamber. Lockett may have died in extreme pain due to a problematic lethal injection mix, a medical expert testified last week, saying the sedative midazolam used in the injection cannot achieve the levels of unconsciousness needed for surgical procedures, and is therefore not suitable for executions. Oklahoma prison officials said their lethal injection mix is humane and appropriate. They told the court they had no intention of changing the combination. The judge ruled in Oklahoma City that the plaintiffs, 21 death-row inmates, did not prove the state's use of the drug midazolam created an unacceptable risk of pain and suffering during executions. "We will move forward and continue to fully challenge and expose the lack of safety and efficacy of the lethal injection procedures in Oklahoma," said Dale Baich, one of the attorneys for the inmates. Several states including Oklahoma have struggled to obtain drugs for executions, while many pharmaceutical companies, mostly in Europe, have imposed sales bans because they object to having medications made for other purposes used in lethal injections. The states have looked to alter lethal injection cocktails and to keep the suppliers' identities secret. Attorneys for death row inmates have argued the drugs used in Oklahoma and other states could cause an unnecessarily painful death, which would amount to cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. (Additional reporting by Heide Brandes; Editing by Eric Beech and Eric Walsh)