Federal Judge Blocks 1 Of 8 Upcoming Executions In Arkansas

A federal judge in Arkansas has blocked the execution of one of eight death row inmates scheduled to die later this month, saying the schedule set by the state doesn't allow enough time for the inmate's clemency petition to proceed.

On Wednesday, a parole board recommended that the inmate in question, Jason McGehee, be granted clemency. The final decision on clemency is up to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, but U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. ruled that the state needed to allow a 30-day comment period.

Arkansas was hurrying to carry out the executions before one of its lethal-injection drugs expires at the end of the month.

The judge's ruling will push McGehee's execution past that expiration date — but does not necessarily affect the rest of the schedule.

The Associated Press reports that one other inmate could have his execution delayed, as well.

"The judge said he might also rule for inmate Jack Jones if the Parole Board approves his clemency petition Friday," the news service writes.

The Parole Board already heard clemency bids from four other inmates scheduled to die, and did not recommend that they be granted mercy. Marshall ruled those executions could continue as scheduled.

The final two inmates did not request clemency. Lawyers for one of them — Bruce Earl Ward — asked Marshall to intervene, saying Ward's "severe mental illness, including persistent delusions that his lawyers are part of a sustained conspiracy against him," had made it impossible to apply for clemency by the deadline. Marshall opted to allow that execution to proceed, as well.

As NPR reported last week, there has been outcry over the fast pace of the executions, scheduled over an 11 day-period between April 17 and 27: