LAS VEGAS (AP) — Courts twice have blocked Nevada from carrying out its first execution in 12 years using a never-tried combination of drugs that it created after struggling to get lethal injection supplies.
The delays are raising questions about whether Nevada can overcome legal hurdles and whether the political will exists to find a way to carry out capital punishment.
Nevada and other states are running up against pharmaceutical companies who don't want their products used in executions. States like Texas, Georgia and Virginia have changed laws to shield information about the drugs they use and others have come up with backup methods.
In an election year, few Nevada politicians are talking about possible changes to keep the death penalty viable.
Condemned killer Scott Raymond Dozier says he wants to die but saw the latest delay July 11.