The Supreme Court has paused Alabama’s attempt to execute Jeffery Lee, a convicted murderer, using nitrogen gas. This decision came after state officials made a last-minute appeal following lower court judges’ conclusions that the method was “likely unconstitutional” in this particular case.
The ruling was unsigned and came without any explicit reasoning, a common practice in emergency decisions. Dissent was noted from three conservative justices: Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Neil M. Gorsuch. Alabama had been eager to proceed with the execution of Mr. Lee, 49, making this a noteworthy setback.
This legal development could lead to more extensive debates about nitrogen hypoxia, a method first adopted by Alabama in 2024. Had the execution proceeded as planned, Mr. Lee would have become the eighth inmate in Alabama, and the ninth nationwide, to be executed using nitrogen gas.
Supreme Court interventions to halt executions at the last moment are rare. Typically, the court responds to emergency stay requests directly from the inmates. In this instance, a federal appeals court had previously blocked the execution, prompting Alabama to seek the Supreme Court’s intervention to overturn the decision.
This story is ongoing. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Rick Rojas serves as the Atlanta bureau chief for The Times, covering the Southern United States. Abbie VanSickle reports on the U.S. Supreme Court for The Times, bringing her legal expertise and investigative experience to her reporting.