USA - California. There will be no executions in California until 2013 because of a federal judge’s decision today

There will be no executions in California until 2013 because of a federal judge’s decision today. Executions have been delayed since 2006 by court order as lawyers argue the issue of California’s lethal injection procedures. A timetable proposed by attorneys for both the state and a variety of condemned individuals was approved by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco, to give both sides time for evidence exchanges. This will push back any scheduled executions into 2013 because of the time it takes a judge to rule and the expected appeals by the losers. At issue is California’s constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Several federal court rulings during the past 5 years have required prison officials to revise execution techniques to conform with existing law. (see also July 1, 2011)