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Oklahoma Judge Denies Execution Delays Over Lethal Injection Drugs

The main gate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.
duggar11
/
Flickr

An Oklahoma County district judge says she's not the right judge to delay two executions while inmates challenge Oklahoma's execution procedures.

Clayton Lockett and Charles Warner have sued the OklahomaDepartment of Corrections to learn more about the drugs that would be used to execute them.

After state lawyers claimed District Court Judge Patricia Parrish didn't have jurisdiction, Parrish said Monday requests for delays should go to the state Court of Criminal Appeals, which sets execution dates. She says she can handle the actual challenge to the law.

Last week, a federal judge moved the case to Parrish's courtroom.

In their lawsuit, the inmates say they fear the drugs to be used are impure and could cause them to suffer.

Lockett's execution date is March 20. Warner's is March 27.

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