On March 20th, Louisiana carried out the execution of inmate Jessie Hoffman Jr, using a contentious method for the first time.
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Authorities reported that the 46-year-old was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The execution, carried out using nitrogen gas, marked the state’s first in 15 years, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities reported that the gas was released for 19 minutes in what one official described as a “flawless” execution.
Witnesses to the execution reported that Hoffman appeared to experience involuntary shaking or “convulsive activity.” The three witnesses, including two members of the media, agreed that based on the protocol and their understanding of the execution method, everything appeared normal and followed standard procedure.
Gina Swanson, a reporter for WDSU, described the execution as “clinical” and “procedural” from her perspective, per AP. She noted that nothing about the process left her questioning its correctness or whether it unfolded as intended, she reported.
Hoffman chose not to deliver a final statement in the execution chamber and also declined the offer of a last meal.
This marked the fifth use of nitrogen gas for an execution in the U.S., following four previous instances, all carried out in Alabama.
Hoffman was found guilty of murdering Mary “Molly” Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive in New Orleans. Just 18 years old at the time of the crime, Hoffman went on to spend the majority of his adult life in a penitentiary in rural southeast Louisiana, where he was ultimately executed.
Jessie Hoffman Jr.’s Legal Team Argued Execution by Nitrogen Gas Violated the Eighth Amendment
Hoffman’s attorneys argued that execution by nitrogen gas, which causes death by cutting off oxygen, violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. In a final appeal, they also claimed the method would disrupt Hoffman’s ability to practice his Buddhist faith, especially his breathing and meditation rituals in his final moments.
Louisiana officials claim the method is painless and argue that it’s time for the state to deliver justice to victims’ families. Executions have been on hold for 15 years, partly because of difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs, delaying this process.
The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, opted not to intervene.