Court Orders

 

This section contains court orders from lethal injection litigation around the country.  The material is organized by jurisdiction and case.

 

 

ARIZONA

 

State of Arizona v. Landrigan

Supreme Court of Arizona

• Order Granting Landrigan's Stay of Execution (October 11, 2007)

• Ruling (Oct. 8, 2009)

 

Dickens v. Brewer

United States District Court

• Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (07/01/09)

 

ARKANSAS

 

Arkansas DOC v. Williams

Supreme Court of Arkansas

• Opinion (10/29/09)

 

Nooner et al. vs. Norris et al.

• District Court Order Denying State's Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim (June 19, 2006)

• District Court Order Granting Preliminary Injunction and Issuing Stay of Execution (June 26, 2006)

• Order (August 5, 2008)

• Opinion, __ F. 3d ___, 2010 WL 424439 (8th Cir. 2010)

Jack Jones v. Norris

Supreme Court of the United States

• Order Denying Application to Vacate Stay w/Scalia Dissent (October 16, 2007)

Don William Davis v. Norris

US District Court Eastern District of Arkansas

• Stay of Execution (October 30, 2007)

 

CALIFORNIA

 

Michael Angelo Morales v. Hickman

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

• Order Conditionally Denying Preliminary Injunction (Feb. 14, 2006)

• Order on Defendant's Motion to Proceed with Execution Under Alternative Condition (Feb. 21, 2006)

• Stipulated Order Continuing Evidentiary Hearing to September 19, 2006 (April 27, 2006)

• Order on Pending Motions (September 22, 2006)

• Judge Fogel's Request for Briefing (October 3, 2006)

• Court's Memorandum of Intended Decision (December 15, 2006)

• Order Denying Motion for Protective Order (March 6, 2007)

• Order Following Grant of Certiorari in Baze v. Rees (September 27, 2007)

Michael Morales and Mitchell Sims v. California Department of Corrections (APA Litigation)

Superior Court of Marin County

• Order Declaring Lethal Injection Protocol Invalid (October 31, 2007)

Court of Appeals of the State of California, First Appellate District

• Order (November 21, 2008)

 

DELAWARE

Delaware v. Jackson (APA Litigation)

Supreme Court of the State of Delaware

• Oral Argument Recording (October 22, 2008)

• Order (October 28, 2008)

Jackson v. Taylor, et al.

United States District Court

• Order Granting PI and Stay of Execution (May 9, 2006)

Third Circuit

• Opinion (02/01/10)

 

FEDERAL

Roane v. Holder

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

• Memorandum Opinion and Order (April 21, 2009)

 

FLORIDA

 

Lightbourne v. State of Florida

Fifth Judicial Circuit

• Written Order Staying Execution and Ordering State to Revise Protocol (July 31, 2007)

• Order Denying Petition to Declare Lethal Injection Unconstitutional, September 10, 2007

Florida Supreme Court

• Opinion finding LI Procedures Do Not Violate Eighth Amendment (November 1, 2007)

Mark Schwab v. State of Florida

Florida Supreme Court

• Order Denying Successive Motion for Post Conviction Relief (November 1, 2007)

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

• Order Staying Execution (November 14, 2007)

Clarence Edward Hill v. State of Florida

• Opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court (June 12, 2006)

 

GEORGIA

 

Alderman v. Donald et al.

United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

• Order Denying State's Motion to Dismiss on Statute of Limitations Grounds (July 30, 2007)

 

INDIANA

 

Timberlake, et. al. v. Buss

Federal District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

• Order Denying State's Motion for Summary Judgment for Failure to Exhaust Remedies (May 1, 2007)

 

KENTUCKY

 

Baze et al v. Rees et al.

Circuit Court- Franklin County

• Opinion (July 8, 2005)

Kentucky Supreme Court

• Opinion (November 22, 2006)

United States Supreme Court

• Opinion (4/16/2008)

Bowling v. Kentucky DOC (APA Case)

• Opinion (11/25/2009)

 

MARYLAND

 

Vernon Evans, Jr. v. State of Maryland

Maryland Court of Appeals

• Ruling on Maryland's Lethal Injection Procedures (Dec. 19, 2006)

Administrative Proceedings

• ALJ's Proposed Ruling on Cross Motions for Summary Judgment (June 2, 2006) and DOC Secretary's Reversal of ALJ's Proposed Ruling (June 27, 2006)

 

MISSISSIPPI

 

Walker v. Epps

District Court, Northern District of Missouri

• Memorandum Opinion (July 15, 2008)

Fifth Circuit

• Opinion (July 21, 2008)

• Order (November 24, 2008)

 

Earl Wesley Berry v. Epps

Supreme Court of Mississippi

• Order of Execution (October 11, 2007)

• Order Dismissing Successor (October 11, 2007)

• Order Denying Rehearing (October 18, 2007)

• Corrected Order (October 19, 2007)

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi

• Order Denying TRO/Injunction (October 24, 2007)

• Opinion (October 24, 2007)

• Partial Final Judgment (October 24, 2007)

Supreme Court of the United States

• Stay of Execution (October 30, 2007)

 

MISSOURI

 

Michael Anthony Taylor v. Crawford

U.S. District Court

• Order Denying 1983 Relief (January 31, 2006)

• Order on Scope of Hearing Following Eighth Circuit Remand (May 2, 2006)

• Order Holding Missouri Lethal Injection Protocols Violate Eighth Amendment, Ordering DOC to Draft New Protocols, and Staying All Executions Pending Court's Approval (June 26, 2006)

• Order Regarding State's Proposed Protocol (July 25, 2006)

• District Court Order Denying State's Motion to Reconsider Sept. 12 Order (October 16, 2006)

Eighth Circuit

• Remand Order (April 27, 2006)

• Remand Order (August 9, 2006)

• Eighth Circuit Opinion (June 4, 2007)

 

Clemons v. Crawford

Eighth Circuit

• Opinion (11/10/09)

 

MONTANA

 

Montana Criminal Defense Lawyers Assoc. v. Montana

Montana Supreme Court

• Order of the Montana Supreme Court (July 25, 2006)

U.S. District Court

• Order Denying Complaint for Lack of Standing (August 7, 2007)

 

NEVADA

 

William Castillo Litigation- ACLU of Nevada v. Skolnik

Supreme Court of the State of Nevada

• Order Scheduling Emergency Hearing (October 15, 2007)

• Order Granting Stay and Ordering Briefing (October 15, 2007)

 

NORTH CAROLINA

 

North Carolina DOC v. North Carolina Medical Board Litigation

• Order to Cancel Execution Date in Allen Richard Holman Case (March 6, 2007)

• Order Ruling that North Carolina Medical Board Cannot Punish Physicians for Participating In Executions (September 21, 2007)

North Carolina Supreme Court

• Order (5/1/09)

Conner et al. v. North Carolina Council of State

• Decision of the Administrative Law Judge (August 9, 2007)
  

Robinson, et. al v. Beck, et. al

• Order Granting Preliminary Injunction (January 25, 2007)
  

Willie Brown Jr.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

• District Court Order (April 7, 2006)

• Fourth Circuit Order Affirming Denial of Injunction, Judge Michael Dissenting (April 20, 2006)

 

OHIO

 

Biros (Cooey v. Strickland)

U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio

• Opinion and Order (04/21/09)

• Order (10/19/09)

SIxth Circuit

• Order (11/25/09)

U.S. District Court

• Order denying TRO (12/7/09

 

Reynolds v. Strickland

• Order (08/28/08)

Wilson v. Strickland

• Order (05/28/09)

Cooey, et al. v. Taft, et al.

• Order of the U.S. District Court Granting Preliminary Injunction (April 28, 2006)
  

• Order of the District Court Granting Motion to Intervene and Denying Request for Preliminary Injunction (Nov. 22, 2006)

• Order of the District Court Denying Intervenor John Spirko's Motion to Reconsider Denying Stay of Execution (Dec. 6, 2006)

State of Ohio v. Ruben Rivera

State District Court

• Order of Judge James Burge Holding the Trial Court Has Jurisdiction to Determine Whether Ohio's Lethal Injection Procedures Are Constitutional, (July 24, 2007)

• Order (06/10/2008)

 

OKLAHOMA

 

Taylor v. Jones

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma

• Order Denying Motion to Dismiss (December 4, 2008)

Boltz v. Jones, et al.

• U.S. District Court Order Granting Stay of Execution (June 1, 2006)

• Tenth Circuit Order Vacating Stay (June 1, 2006)

 

TENNESSEE

 

Harbison v. Little

U.S. District Court

• Order Finding TN Lethal Injection in Violation of Eighth Amendment (September 19, 2007)

Sixth Circuit

• Order (07/02/09)

 

Review of Tennessee Execution Procedures

• Executive Order Issued by Gov. Bredesen (Feb. 1, 2007)

• Report on the Administration of Death Sentences in Tennessee (April 30, 2007)

 

TEXAS

 

Sonnier v. Quarterman

Court of Criminal Appeals

• Order Granting Motion to Stay Execution (June 3, 2008)

Carlton Turner v. The State of Texas

Court of Criminal Appeals

• Order Denying Writ of Habeas Corpus Challenging Constitutionality of Lethal Injection (Sept. 27, 2007)

• Justice Price's Dissent to Order Denying (September 27, 2007)
  

Supreme Court of the United States

• Order Granting Stay of Execution (September 27, 2007)

 

VIRGINIA

 

Emmett v. Johnson

US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

• Motion granting Summary Judgment (September 20, 2007)

Fourth Circuit

• Motion to Stay Execution (September 27, 2007)

Supreme Court of the United States

• Order Granting Stay of Execution (October 17, 2007)

 

WASHINGTON

 

Stenson v. Vail

Thurston County Superior Court

• Opinion (July 10, 2009)

Updated: March 29, 2010