Governor Dewine Pushes Back Date of First Schedule Inmate Execution

(iHeart Media News- Columbus) -- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has issued a reprieve for a death row inmate out of Franklin County, who was scheduled for execution next month.

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The reprieve pushes the execution for Warrenn Henness from September 12th, 2019 to May 14th, 2020.

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In a statement Wednesday, DeWine says it's in response to a federal court order, which ruled that Ohio's method of putting inmates to death was unconstitutional.

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The ruling said the method violated the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution. DeWine says the state's current three-drug method of execution would likely cause severe pain.

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DeWine has ordered the state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to assess the state's current options for execution drugs, and examine possible alternatives.

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Henness was sentenced to death for murder of Richard Meyers in Columbus in 1992.

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DeWine says the state is also having trouble finding drugs to use in lethal injections, because many companies do not want their drugs used for that purpose, and they have threatened to cut off selling their drugs to the state of Ohio for other purposes.

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DeWine discussed the situation Wednesday when signing an executive order in Columbus, enhancing drug trafficking investigations.


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