This is the second time this month Ohio has made me gasp.
This week, Romell Broom was scheduled to be put death. He went into the chambers where he would be injected with substances that would end his life. He lay on the table while they prepped him, and then laid there for two hours while the technicians tried to move forward with the procedure.
The technicians failed. Romell returned to his cell. His execution was rescheduled for next Tuesday.
Broom’s attorneys filed appeals to stay or completely cancel his execution. They contend that one week is not enough time to recover from the physical and emotional trauma of last Tuesday’s events, and executing Broom would constitute cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the 8th Amendment. They also hope to prove that Ohio’s lethal injection system itself constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
I’m indescribably proud to live in a state that has already legally labeled the death penalty what it is – cruel and unusual punishment. I’m also indescribably heartbroken that we live in a country where some states have not outlawed the death penalty. It’s a beautiful fall Friday afternoon in Maine, and suddenly I want to work ten times harder to defend our Constitution.
