05 May 2017 :

Governor John Kasich has delayed nine scheduled executions as the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit considers the state's appeal of a district court injunction against the state's execution protocol. Gov. Kasich on Monday postponed of more than 2 months 9 executions as a court fight continues over the constitutionality of the state's lethal injection process, including a contested sedative, Midazolam, used in problematic executions in at least three states. Ronald Phillips, scheduled to die May 10 for raping and killing his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter in 1993, is now set for execution July 26. Kasich issued a similar delay in February to give a 3-judge panel of the appeals court time to hear similar arguments. That panel sided with the lower-court judge. In a rare move, the full court said it would hear the case and set arguments for June 14.