Officials Execute Obese Inmate
A 48-year-old man, who weighed over 380 pounds, lost his final appeal and was executed in April 2025.
The Florida Supreme Court rejected the man’s claims in a 23-page opinion, deeming his last-ditch effort to avoid the death penalty as “untimely and meritless,” noting that he’s had medical conditions dating back to 2009.
Attorneys also failed to prove that lethal injection would present a “substantial and imminent risk” of serious illness or needless suffering, according to the ruling, which referenced prior challenges to the use of a sedative that begins the state’s three-drug execution procedure.
“This court has repeatedly upheld Florida’s lethal injection protocol, including the etomidate protocol,” the opinion reads. “Additionally, this court has considered and rejected similar arguments based on obesity and IV procedures.”
The confessed killer insisted he was a changed man. “I’ve taken full responsibility for my actions and I’m feeling content,” he wrote to a pen pal last year. “Prison saved my life. I would have never made it to 30 years old. I thank God for reentering my life and giving me the opportunity to find balance and change through His word.”
Lethal Injection
Recently, the methods used during lethal injection executions have become more controversial than the executions themselves.
Until 2010, most states used a three-drug combination for lethal injections: an anesthetic (usually pentobarbital), pancuronium bromide (a paralytic agent that’s also called Pavulon), and potassium chloride (a poison that stops the heart and causes death).
Potassium chloride is a very reliable drug that causes nearly instantaneous death. But if the subject is alive and able to feel the drug’s effect, the last few seconds of the defendant\s life are painful beyond belief. Thus, authorities administer the anesthetic and paralytic before the lethal injection.
Around 2010, companies such as Sagent Pharmaceuticals, BioCrick, and Akorn stopped sales of pentobarbital, an effective and instantaneous sedative, if the chemical was to be used in lethal injections. The supply interruption forced states to scramble for a substitute, with mixed results.
- Etomidate: This sedative is a highly effective short term surgical anesthetic. Florida officials first used this drug in 2017. Etomidate is also an e-cigarette liquid known as space oil in Hong Kong and kpod in Singapore.
- Midazolam: Once the go-to lethal injection sedative, most states stopped using it around 2016. In December of that year, an Alabama man lingered for fifteen minutes after he received a midazolam/pancuronium bromide/potassium chloride lethal injection. According to witnesses, the man heaved and gasped for breath until he finally died.
- Fentanyl: A few states use this drug. Nebraska first used this drug as a sedative in an August 14, 2018 execution. Nevada has also announced that it will use Fentanyl in combination with other drugs to carry out executions. No other states plan to use Fentanyl.
The current trend is toward a single injection of an anesthetic. So, lethal injection is basically a drug overdose in many states.
Resolution Options in Criminal Cases
Agreed plea bargains (voluntary confessions) resolve about 95 percent of the criminal cases in Palm Beach County. Usually, the prosecutor makes an offer based on the defendant’s criminal history and the nature of the current charges. Then, a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer makes a counter-offer based on any possible procedural, substantive, and/or affirmative defenses. The back-and-forth continues until an agreement is reached.
The plea bargain system has been heavily criticized by some, mostly because these negotiations occur behind closed doors. Judges technically have the power to reject plea bargains, but they almost never do so. However, this system is here to stay, unless someone comes up with a better one.
Speaking of trials, a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer can opt for a jury trial or a bench trial. These uncertain options are good alternatives in some cases.
Work With a Tenacious Palm Beach County Lawyer
Criminal cases usually involve procedural, substantive, and/or procedural defenses. For a confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in West Palm Beach, contact William Wallshein P.A. Attorney William Wallshein has more than 41 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County.
Source:
newsweek.com/michael-tanzi-execution-florida-2055111
