LITTLE ROCK — For now, Arkansas does not have to turn over information about the source of its execution drugs, the Arkansas Supreme Court said Friday, noting that it is considering the state's request for a longer delay.
The order came about an hour before a noon deadline to release the information, which was set by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Wendell Griffen on Thursday. Griffen sided with death row inmates who challenged in a lawsuit the constitutionality of the secrecy portion of the state's execution law, saying that drug suppliers do not have a constitutional right to be free from criticism.
The Arkansas attorney general's office asked for the temporary stay late Thursday if the court did not decide to grant a longer stay through its planned appeal of Griffen's overall ruling.
The high court asked attorneys for the state and the inmates to submit written arguments for whether a longer stay should be granted while the justices consider the state's pending appeal. The justices set a Dec. 14 deadline for the inmates' attorneys to submit their brief, as well as two other briefing deadlines all before the end of the year.
The high court's order did not elaborate on its reasons for granting the stay. Only Associate Justice Paul E. Danielson dissented, but didn't elaborate.
The Arkansas Supreme Court previously issued an order Oct. 16 that put eight scheduled executions on hold until the lawsuit could be heard.
The inmates have argued that without disclosure of the source and other information they had no way to determine whether the midazolam, vecuronium bromide or potassium chloride obtained by the state would lead to cruel and unusual punishment.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
