A federal appeals court has ruled that Alabama's nitrogen gas execution method requires further review to determine if it violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. - The three-judge panel reversed a lower court's May ruling that found the method constitutional.
- The decision could affect the scheduled execution of Jeffery Lee on Thursday. - The court expressed concerns about the duration of suffering, which can last one to three minutes.
- The case was sent back to consider if a firing squad is a feasible alternative. The ruling marks the first time a court has acknowledged potential constitutional issues with nitrogen executions, which have been used in eight executions nationally.