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The execution chamber at the Southern Ohio Correction Facility in Lucasville. A federal judge has extended a temporary moratorium on executions in the state until next January.

(Associated Press file)

COLUMBUS, Ohio—A federal judge has extended a temporary moratorium on executions in Ohio until Jan. 15, 2015 to allow more time for the state to implement a new lethal-injection procedure.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost's order will delay four scheduled executions in the state using a new lethal-injection cocktail that's come under scrutiny in recent months.

In May, Frost halted all Ohio executions until this month in the wake of the controversial execution of convicted killer Dennis McGuire in January.

McGuire's family filed a federal lawsuit after he was seen gasping, choking and clenching his fists while taking an unexpectedly long 25 minutes to die from a never-before-tried lethal-injection cocktail of midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a narcotic painkiller.

A state review concluded that McGuire suffered no pain during his execution, but officials said they'll increase the dosage of the drugs for future executions.

Ohio's new execution protocol calls for 50 mg each of midazolam and hydromorphone, the same dosage of the drugs employed in a nearly two-hour-long execution in Arizona last month.

Frost issued an order Friday extending the moratorium "in light of the continuing need for discovery and necessary preparations related to the adoption and implementation of the new execution protocol."

The next scheduled execution in Ohio had been set for Sept. 18, when Summit County killer Ronald Phillips would have been put to death.

Other executions that will now need to be rescheduled include Cincinnati double-murderer Raymond Tibbetts on Oct. 15, Cleveland killer Gregory Lott on Nov. 19, and Columbus murderer Warren Henness on Jan. 7, 2015.

The Ohio Supreme Court, which schedules executions, has not yet set new execution dates for the four, according to court spokesman Bret Crow.

Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said in an email that her agency will abide by the court order and "remains committed to carrying out executions in a humane and lawful manner." She declined further comment because the matter is still being litigated.

A spokesman for Gov. John Kasich referred comment to the DRC.