The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday approved the state's execution of the death penalty by firing squad and electrocution.
The state passed a law in 2021 allowing firing squad and electrocution to be used as execution methods. according to According to The Hill, even though electrocution would be the default method of execution if a state cannot provide lethal injection drugs, approval was temporarily halted after death row inmates sued the state. (Related article: Texas Supreme Court rejects appeal, executes convicted murderer)
“[The 2021 law was a] Judge John Few continues to make sincere efforts to make the death penalty less inhumane while allowing states to enforce the law.” I have written The ruling stated, “The inevitable reality is that any method of execution will not go as planned – that it will 'fail,' but that does not make the method 'cruel' under the Constitution.”
The electric chair can be seen from the witness room at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, looking toward the execution chamber. (Photo by Mike Simmons/Getty Images)
South Carolina is now one of five states that allows executions by firing squad, but the method has only been used three times since 1976, and in Utah. according to to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Following the ruling, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster praised the state Supreme Court's decision, saying it “rightly upheld the rule of law,” according to The Hill.
“The Supreme Court has rightly upheld the rule of law,” Justice McMaster said. “Today's ruling is another step towards ensuring that lawful sentences are properly carried out and that the victims' families and loved ones can get the closure and justice they have long sought.”
South Carolina currently has 32 inmates on death row, although the state has not carried out an execution since 2011, The Hill reported.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
