United States Third Circuit

In an appeal brought by a class of inmates challenging the constitutionality of Delaware's lethal injection method for capital punishment, district court's grant of summary judgment is affirmed and a stay dissolved as: 1) under Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35 (2008), an execution protocol that does not present a substantial risk of serious harm passes constitutional muster; and 2) on the record, Delaware's protocol presents no such risk.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/16/2009
• Decided 02/01/2010
• Published 02/01/2010

Judges

• Before FISHER, HARDIMAN and VAN ANTWERPEN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Helen A. Marino, Maria K. Pulzetti, Michael Wiseman (Argued), Defender Association of Philadelphia, Federal Capital Habeas Corpus Unit, West Philadelphia, PA, Attorneys for Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Elizabeth R. McFarlan, Loren C. Meyers, Marc P. Niedzielski (Argued), Gregory E. Smith, Department of Justice, Wilmington, DE, Attorneys for Appellees.