On November 1, 2006, Aaron Lee Jones filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the state of Alabama from using its lethal injection procedure against him. The complaint alleged that the procedure did not include medically approved procedures and would result in extreme pain in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution. The plaintiff was represented by private attorneys.

On April 17, 2007, the district court (Judge Myron H. Thompson) denied the plaintiff's motion to stay his execution pending his challenge of the lethal injection procedure. His execution was scheduled for May 3, 2007. On April 27, 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (Judge Joel Fredrick Dubina) affirmed. Both courts found that Jones delayed in bringing these constitutional claims.

Angela Heverling - 07/28/2007


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