After Failed Execution Attempts Twice Last Month

Reuters reported that about a third of Americans believe the government should attempt to execute a convicted prisoner again if the first attempt fails, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after a botched lethal injection execution in Tennessee. The four-day poll, completed on Monday, found that 39% of respondents believed the convicted person should be allowed to serve a life sentence instead of facing a repeated execution attempt, while 26% had not made up their minds between the two options. According to Reuters, the poll showed limited support for re-executing convicts who survive botched attempts, an issue currently facing Tennessee after 50-year-old Christa Pike survived two lethal injection attempts last month in Nashville. Pike was transported to the hospital unconscious and in critical condition after two failed attempts to administer pentobarbital, which resulted in serious injuries to her arm; she did not regain consciousness for five days. Reuters noted that most countries, along with 23 U.S. states, have abolished the death penalty, while states that still apply it face difficulties in obtaining execution drugs, prompting some to turn to alternative methods, including firing squads. According to the poll, a slim majority of Americans, 55%, still support the death penalty for those convicted of the most serious crimes, compared with 63% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in 2017. The agency added that the issue has gained new significance as courts consider the legality of re-imposing the death penalty after a failed first attempt.