A federal judge has temporarily halted Louisiana’s planned execution of death row inmate Jessie Hoffman, ruling that the state’s use of nitrogen hypoxia poses a substantial risk of extreme psychological suffering.
South Carolina is set to become the first state in 15 years to carry out an execution by firing squad. The execution of 67-year-old Brad Sigmon is scheduled for March 7, marking only the third time in nearly five decades that this method has been used in the United States.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced Monday that the state will begin using nitrogen gas as an execution method, following Alabama’s implementation of the practice last year.
