USA - Oregon. Judge Timothy Alexander ruled that Gary Haugen, who wants to be executed, is not required to accept clemency from Governor John Kitzhaber.

Circuit Court Senior Judge Timothy Alexander ruled that Gary Haugen is not required to accept clemency from Governor John Kitzhaber. The governor's office says an appeal to a higher court is likely. Last year, Haugen said he would voluntarily waive legal appeals that could delay his execution for years and fought to speed his punishment in protest of a criminal justice system that he says is broken. But Governor Kitzhaber, who opposes capital punishment, said no executions would occur while he is governor. Haugen was scheduled to die by lethal injection last December 6. On November 22, 2011 Governor Kitzhaber issued an order preventing the execution for the rest of his time in office. The day before the Oregon Supreme Court had rejected  a petition to delay the execution of Haugen because of challenges to his mental competency. The execution would have been the state's first in 14 years. Haugen was sentenced to death in 2007 for the September 2, 2003 murder of David Polin, a fellow inmate at the Oregon State Penitentiary. At that time Haugen was serving a life sentence for fatally bludgeoning his former girlfriend’s mother, Mary Archer in 1981 (See also March 29, 2007, November 22, 2011, November 26, 2011.)