Doctors in ethics row as execution nears

The planned lethal injection at San Quentin prison near San Francisco follows the rejection on Friday by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of a clemency petition on behalf of the murderer Michael Morales. But it has pitted medical professionals against the governor.

In line with a federal court order, an anaesthetist will ensure that Morales has been rendered unconscious by a sedative before being injected with drugs to stop his heart. The order follows an appeal by Morales that California's lethal injection procedure constituted "cruel and unusual punishment". The issue arose in part because of problems with the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams in December when guards took 12 minutes to find a vein. The presence of an anaesthetist is intended to prevent similar difficulties, but it is in conflict with the ethical code governing medical professionals.

More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1713655,00.html