Lawyers representing a Texas death row inmate are urging a judge to halt his lethal injection scheduled for Wednesday, pointing to the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. This case marks the first U.S. execution scheduled since Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital, leading to her hospitalization and ongoing medical care. Howard’s attorneys argued that the pentobarbital intended for use in Texas carries the same severe risks and likely suffers from degradation, noting the drugs are past their original beyond-use dates. Pike’s legal team alleged her execution involved blown veins, deteriorated drugs, and inadequate emergency medical response, leaving her conscious on a ventilator with an unclear prognosis. Jamaal Howard, 46, was convicted of capital murder for the 2000 fatal shooting of 42-year-old convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout during a $114 robbery in Silsbee, Texas. In addition to concerns over the lethal injection drugs, Howard’s defense team has argued he is intellectually disabled and filed a pending appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution. Attorneys stated that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice delayed disclosing information regarding the lethal dose by seeking an attorney general opinion that will not arrive until after the scheduled execution date. Texas has executed six individuals this year, with two additional executions scheduled following Howard, which would bring the nationwide total to 30 for 2026. Meanwhile, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has paused remaining executions for the year, and Florida has carried out 16 executions, leading all states. Additionally, an execution date has been set for former Army Major Nidal Hasan, who faces a military firing squad on December 3 at Fort Hood, marking the first military execution since 1961.
Source: cbsnews.com
