February 17, 2023 | In July 2022, Oklahoma set an aggressive schedule to execute 25 men over the course of two years — a shocking rate of one execution each month.
After four of those executions were carried out, Attorney General Gentner Drummond — who assumed office in January 2023 — requested that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals slow down this hurried execution schedule.
The state will now be required to maintain at least 60 days between executions.
AG Drummond formally requested for executions to be slowed after witnessing the execution of Scott Eizember just three days after taking office. His request was approved by the Court of Criminal Appeals the following week.
The request cited the “undue burden” and mental toll that the relentless executions place on those tasked with carrying them out.
“That relentless pace of executions means the prison never really returns to normal operations after the emotional and logistical upheaval of an execution,” wrote a group of former Department of Corrections officials in a letter to the AG Drummond.
“This decision will help maintain confidence in our protocol in this solemn and important process,” said AG Drummond.
