Arkansas' highest court has ruled state prison officials must identify the manufacturer of one of the lethal injection drugs they plan to use to put a convicted murderer to death next week.
The decision by the state Supreme Court reversed in part a Pulaski County judge’s September ruling, which ordered the state to release unredacted copies of package inserts and drug labels for its batch of midazolam, a sedative used to start executions.
The court said Thursday that the labels must be released but said a Pulaski County judge must determine what identifying information other than the manufacturer can be withheld.
The decision comes a week before Arkansas is set to execute Jack Gordon Greene at the Cummins Unit on Nov. 9.
Earlier Thursday, Greene appeared shackled in a Jefferson County courtroom, where his lawyer’s challenged state prison director Wendy Kelley’s assertion that Greene is competent to be put to death.
The attorneys from the federal public defender’s office in Little Rock argue that Greene is delusional and are seeking an independent examination of his mental health. Greene, however, alleged that his lawyers are conspiring against him before being silenced by the judge.
Eleventh West Judicial Circuit Judge Jodi Dennis had yet to make a ruling in that case as of Thursday afternoon.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.