# Will Clayton Locketts Torture be the Rosa Parks moment of the Campaign against judicial killing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 30, 2014, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339 "2014-04-30T05:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/661 "2014-08-10T15:46:27Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > From that link, “con” seems to overstate it a touch: they purchased the vials _but did not inform the hospital of its intended use for the drug … ‘We assumed the drug was for one of their patients, so we sent it.’"_ Like buying a newspaper without mentioning that you just want to wrap fish in it, or use it as a prop in a play, or whatever. Hospitals are allowed to order drugs in order to treat patients. They are not allowed to then loan or sell them on to kill people. The hospital is on record as saying they assumed that the drugs were for pain relief in prison hospitals. The net effect of this will be that pharmacists (keeping to their professional codes of practice) will in future question any request from judicial killers to borrow or purchase drugs that can be used to kill felons. Prisons can only purchase such killing drugs from manufacturers because pharmacists will not be part of the process of killing- same as nurses and doctors cannot be part of the process itself. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/662 "2014-08-10T15:47:52Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I applaud a government official’s initiative in finding a workaround, albeit toward an inefficient goal. Except that it is illegal and caused a professional to abrogate their code of practice, even though they were fooled onto doing it. Very praiseworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/663 "2014-08-11T12:45:58Z")
Please cite the law that forbids a hospital to sell drugs to a prison for use in an execution. Regards, Shodan PS - the **law**. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/664 "2014-08-11T12:55:53Z")
So, again; your end game here is to reestablish hanging, right? ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/665 "2014-08-11T13:13:26Z")
End the cruelty, bring back firing squads. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/666 "2014-08-11T13:42:00Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > Except that it is illegal and caused a professional to abrogate their code of practice, even though they were fooled onto doing it. > > Very praiseworthy. It’s illegality is unclear at best, and the professional should write a Valium prescription for himself. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/667 "2014-08-11T16:24:34Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > Prisons can only purchase such killing drugs from manufacturers because pharmacists will not be part of the process of killing- same as nurses and doctors cannot be part of the process itself. I am unaware of any law or “code of practice” that compels physicians to avoid taking part in executions.\* Interestingly, the following was part of a submission to the N.Y. Times ethicist which appeared in yesterday’s Sunday magazine: _“A physician friend oversees the lethal-injection program in another state. I say this is unethical. He says just the opposite. Before him, he says, executions were often prolonged and painful. Now they are fast and painless. Because the state will continue the program with or without him, he feels that his work is humanitarian in nature.”_ \*if such a claim refers to the Hippocratic Oath stating that “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan”, then it should be noted that the proscription would also apply to humane end-of-life assistance, and also take into account that nothing is mandatory about the Hippocratic Oath, and many physicians graduate and go out into practice without taking the Hippocratic Oath (myself included). ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/668 "2014-08-11T21:02:30Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I am unaware of any law or “code of practice” that compels physicians to avoid taking part in executions.\* > > Interestingly, the following was part of a submission to the N.Y. Times ethicist which appeared in yesterday’s Sunday magazine: > > _“A physician friend oversees the lethal-injection program in another state. I say this is unethical. He says just the opposite. Before him, he says, executions were often prolonged and painful. Now they are fast and painless. Because the state will continue the program with or without him, he feels that his work is humanitarian in nature.”_ > > \*if such a claim refers to the Hippocratic Oath stating that “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan”, then it should be noted that the proscription would also apply to humane end-of-life assistance, and also take into account that nothing is mandatory about the Hippocratic Oath, and many physicians graduate and go out into practice without taking the Hippocratic Oath (myself included). > **[Participation of medical professionals in American executions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participation_of_medical_professionals_in_American_executions)** > > Participation of medical professionals in American executions is a controversial topic, due to its moral and legal implications. The practice is proscribed by the American Medical Association, as defined in its Code of Medical Ethics. The American Society of Anesthesiologists endorses this position, stating that lethal injections "can never conform to the science, art and practice of anesthesiology". > In 2010, the American Board of Anesthesiologists, a member board of the American Board of Medic... ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/669 "2014-08-12T12:49:42Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > [Participation of medical professionals in American executions - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participation_of_medical_professionals_in_American_executions) Were you aware that the cite you provided demonstrates that your earlier claim about illegality was false? It’s nice of you to cite that your posts are untrue, but it isn’t really necessary. We recognized it already. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/670 "2014-08-12T15:44:02Z")
That far, no further, Shodan. I could easily interpret that as an accusation of lying. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/671 "2014-08-12T15:55:28Z")
I will start a thread in ATMB then. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/672 "2014-08-12T16:18:26Z")
[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17631986#post17631986) it is. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339/673 "2014-08-12T16:33:57Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > [Participation of medical professionals in American executions - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participation_of_medical_professionals_in_American_executions) The only relevant item in that link is about the ABMS anesthesiology board voting to revoke certifications of anesthesiologists who participate in executions. Since states typically do not release names of physicians assisting in executions, and there has even been legislation passed prohibiting specialty associations and medical boards from sanctioning such doctors, I submit that any regulations like that of the anesthesiology board are toothless and that medical professionals continue to have the right to assist in executions. It is also hypocritical in the extreme for opponents of capital punishment to try to 1) compel medical professionals to avoid participation in the process, and 2) prevent authorities from having access to effective drugs to carry out executions - while simultaneously protesting that the process is inhumane. It’s reminiscent of the person who murdered his parents and then pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was now an orphan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-clayton-locketts-torture-be-the-rosa-parks-moment-of-the-campaign-against-judicial-killing/687339.md?page=33)