Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich has granted clemency to a death row inmate scheduled to die next month for a 1983 slaying. The move to reduce the sentence to life in prison follows the recommendation of the Ohio Parole Board. 54-year-old Arthur Tyler says his co-defendant took responsibility for the shooting. Prosecutors also pushed for clemency, saying the case fails to meet current standards for capital punishment. The governor's decision has prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio to call for a moratorium on executions through 2015. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.
Director of Communications Mike Brickner says his group wants the Governor to suspend the next nine executions through 2015. Brickner says a botched execution in Oklahoma earlier this week is the latest reminder of why Ohio should put the practice on hold. The lethal injection in Oklahoma was stopped after an inmate’s vein collapsed as the first drug was being administered but he died shortly after that of a heart attack. Ohio had its own problematic lethal injection in January. Witnesses said the inmate, Dennis McGuire, showed signs of severe pain as he was being put to death. The state’s review concluded he wasn’t in pain, but officials have decided to increase the dosage of the drugs in future lethal injections. Governor Kasich has said in the past that he supports the death penalty. But Brickner says even supporters of the death penalty should agree that it must be fair, humane and comply with the constitution.
