Court Rules Oklahoma Execution Of Clayton Lockett Not Cruel Or Inhumane

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver has ruled the Oklahoma execution of Clayton Lockett in 2014 was not cruel and inhumane. 

Lockett's execution at the state penitentiary in McAlester in April of 2014 lasted 43 minutes.

4/29/2014 Related Story: Oklahoma Inmate Dies Of Heart Attack After Execution Goes Awry 

In their ruling, the judges cited a Supreme Court decision on an unrelated case that found that “some risk of pain is inherent in any method of execution — no matter how humane.”

The estate of Clayton Lockett had appealed a 2015 decision in which a federal judge in Oklahoma City dismissed its lawsuit.

The state of Oklahoma used the drug midazolam to render Lockett unconscious before two other drugs were administered to bring about his death.

An investigation after Clayton Lockett's execution cited a lack of written protocols for handling contingencies and deficiencies in formal training for Department of Corrections employees.

9/14/2014 Related Story: DPS Report On Clayton Lockett Execution Finds Problems With Process