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Federal Judge Blocks Alabama’s Nitrogen Gas Executions

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:59 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Judge bans nitrogen

Federal Judge Emily Marks ruled nitrogen gas executions violate the Constitution’s ban on cruel punishment.
Marks said inmates could suffer up to three minutes of severe air hunger and intense distress.
Alabama began nitrogen gas executions in 2024 with Kenneth Eugene Smith and six subsequent inmates.
Louisiana has employed nitrogen gas execution only once, showing limited nationwide adoption.

Summary

Alabama officials execute Lee

Alabama officials executed Jeffery Lee by lethal injection at William C. Holman Correctional Facility.
The execution began at 6 p.m. Thursday and Lee was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m. Central Time.
The judge overrode a 7-5 jury's life recommendation despite the 2017 ban on overrides.
Governor Kay Ivey refused clemency while the ACLU filed a petition on Lee’s behalf.

History

Historical Context

The July 2 1976 Supreme Court ruling in Gregg v. Georgia ended the Furman moratorium and prompted 35 states to rewrite capital-punishment statutes, raising public support to 66 percent that year. Utah resumed executions first with Gary Gilmore’s firing-squad death on Jan 17 1977, illustrating the post-Gregg surge. That legacy underlies Alabama’s recent adoption of nitrogen-gas and lethal-injection protocols, which judges now evaluate under the same constitutional cruelty standards.

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Judge bans nitrogen

Federal Judge Emily Marks ruled nitrogen gas executions violate the Constitution’s ban on cruel punishment.
Marks said inmates could suffer up to three minutes of severe air hunger and intense distress.
Alabama began nitrogen gas executions in 2024 with Kenneth Eugene Smith and six subsequent inmates.
Louisiana has employed nitrogen gas execution only once, showing limited nationwide adoption.

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