South Carolina Court Blocks Two Scheduled Executions

Yesterday, the South Carolina Supreme Court blocked two executions that had been set for later this month. The executions for inmates Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens were scheduled less than a month after the passage of a new law which gives inmates the option to choose between electrocution or a firing squad if lethal injection drugs aren’t available. The law is aimed at restarting executions after a 10 year involuntary pause in the state due to the inability to access the lethal injection drugs. Prison officials say they can’t get a hold of any injections and have not put together a firing squad leaving the electric chair as the only method available.