Federal judge denies request to halt Morales execution

February 14, 2006

By Jason Bennet, Bay City News Service

A federal judge today denied a request to halt the Feb. 21 execution of Michael Morales provided that California prison officials meet certain conditions.

Attorneys for Morales wanted the execution halted in order to hold a hearing as to whether or not California's lethal injection procedure qualifies as "cruel and unusual punishment,'' and is therefore unconstitutional, because the drugs used in the procedure may cause the condemned prisoner excruciating pain before killing him.

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