Supreme Court blocks Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee using nitrogen gas

• The U.S. Supreme Court granted a reprieve to Alabama inmate Jeffery Lee, halting his scheduled execution by nitrogen gas.
• In a 6-3 decision, the high court declined to overturn a lower-court ruling that deemed the nitrogen gas method unconstitutionally cruel.
• This decision thwarted Alabama's last-minute legal effort to proceed with the execution, which was called off for the evening.
• Lee's legal team praised the ruling, noting his jury had initially voted for a life sentence, while Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall vowed to continue seeking to carry out the sentence.
• The ruling marks a temporary victory for opponents of capital punishment in Alabama, a state known for frequent executions, amidst an ongoing debate over the humaneness of nitrogen gas.

IN FULL

Supreme Court denies Alabama’s eleventh-hour attempt to execute Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas