Suitably Flip

Why Is This Man Still Alive?

Time has run out for convicted rapist and murderer Michael Morales, and yet he continues to draw breath in San Quentin.  What's more, time will run out for the state to put him down if last minute snarls aren't quickly unsnarled.

In an unprecedented move in California since executions resumed in 1992, an anesthesiologist was to stay with Morales to make sure the 46-year-old man was rendered and remained unconscious after the first round of drugs entered his vein in a three-chemical lethal injection process. Another anesthesiologist was also to be present, but not in the execution chamber.

The impetus behind the court order was to ensure Morales wouldn't suffer during his extermination.

But when the anesthesiologists bailed out over ethical concerns at the last minute, they forced a stay of execution.  Now, if the execution is not carried out by midnight, the death warrant will expire.

[O]fficials would have to go back to the trial judge who imposed the death sentence in 1983 for another warrant.  Seeking another warrant could prove difficult for the state, however, since the original sentencing judge, Charles McGrath, joined Morales this month in asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for clemency. McGrath said he no longer believed the credibility of a jailhouse informant whose testimony helped land Morales on death row.

On Sunday, a federal appeals court rejected an appeal based on the theory that the informant gave false testimony.

Again, today's snag is predicated on pulling out all the stops to make sure Morales doesn't suffer during his execution.  Frankly, that seems a little bizarre, since executions do typically involve a high risk of death.  And death just seems like one of those inherently unpleasant experiences.  Like a deep paper cut.  Or a bad charlie horse.  Or having your skull crushed with a hammer 23 times, before being raped and left for dead.

Now that the anesthesiologists have walked out, I have a few ideas for other ways to dispose of Mr. Morales.  We could shoot him.  Or hang him.  Or smother him. Or drown him.  Or incinerate him.  Or hurl him off the roof of the cell block.  Or back over him with the prison laundry truck.  Really, it's a dangerous world.  It's hard to keep people alive, not to make them dead.

Of course some of those might be a touch ghastly, if not for the soon-to-be-former consciousness known as Michael Morales, then for the witnesses and clean up crew.  So let's stick with this well-worn, relatively humane (given that death is rather inescapably the outcome) method.  If we can't guarantee it'll be 100% pain-free, well that's just going to have to be one of those bummers about being convicted of rape and murder.

The only undue suffering taking place this week is that of the family of Terri Winchell, the teenage girl upon whom Morales wrought so much suffering.  The only miscarriage of justice is the one being endured by the people of the state of California, as another day piles onto the 23 years they've had to pay to sustain this fetid deke of humanity.

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Why Is This Man Still Alive?

Time has run out for convicted rapist and murderer Michael Morales, and yet he continues to draw breath in San Quentin.  What's more, time will run out for the state to put him down if last minute snarls aren't quickly unsnarled.

In an unprecedented move in California since executions resumed in 1992, an anesthesiologist was to stay with Morales to make sure the 46-year-old man was rendered and remained unconscious after the first round of drugs entered his vein in a three-chemical lethal injection process. Another anesthesiologist was also to be present, but not in the execution chamber.

The impetus behind the court order was to ensure Morales wouldn't suffer during his extermination.

But when the anesthesiologists bailed out over ethical concerns at the last minute, they forced a stay of execution.  Now, if the execution is not carried out by midnight, the death warrant will expire.

[O]fficials would have to go back to the trial judge who imposed the death sentence in 1983 for another warrant.  Seeking another warrant could prove difficult for the state, however, since the original sentencing judge, Charles McGrath, joined Morales this month in asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for clemency. McGrath said he no longer believed the credibility of a jailhouse informant whose testimony helped land Morales on death row.

On Sunday, a federal appeals court rejected an appeal based on the theory that the informant gave false testimony.

Again, today's snag is predicated on pulling out all the stops to make sure Morales doesn't suffer during his execution.  Frankly, that seems a little bizarre, since executions do typically involve a high risk of death.  And death just seems like one of those inherently unpleasant experiences.  Like a deep paper cut.  Or a bad charlie horse.  Or having your skull crushed with a hammer 23 times, before being raped and left for dead.

Now that the anesthesiologists have walked out, I have a few ideas for other ways to dispose of Mr. Morales.  We could shoot him.  Or hang him.  Or smother him. Or drown him.  Or incinerate him.  Or hurl him off the roof of the cell block.  Or back over him with the prison laundry truck.  Really, it's a dangerous world.  It's hard to keep people alive, not to make them dead.

Of course some of those might be a touch ghastly, if not for the soon-to-be-former consciousness known as Michael Morales, then for the witnesses and clean up crew.  So let's stick with this well-worn, relatively humane (given that death is rather inescapably the outcome) method.  If we can't guarantee it'll be 100% pain-free, well that's just going to have to be one of those bummers about being convicted of rape and murder.

The only undue suffering taking place this week is that of the family of Terri Winchell, the teenage girl upon whom Morales wrought so much suffering.  The only miscarriage of justice is the one being endured by the people of the state of California, as another day piles onto the 23 years they've had to pay to sustain this fetid deke of humanity.