The Arkansas attorney general's office is attempting to unwind the court rulings put in place to dismantle eight executions ordered by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, NBC News reports.
"We have worked round the clock for the last couple of weeks and particularly in the last couple of days, as judges have made decisions and court cases have been filed in these pieces of litigation, to ensure again that justice is carried out for these families of the victims," Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge told Little Rock NBC-affiliate KARK.
Hutchinson ordered eight executions in a span of 10 days, a controversial move as he did it because one of the state's lethal injection drugs – midazolam – was set to expire at the end of the month.
Midazolam, one judge argued, had the potential to cause a cruel and unusual death.
Among many appeals Saturday, Rutledge asked the court to reverse the blanket stay on executions because the challenge over midazolam "disregarded the fact that delaying Appellees' executions by even a few days — until after Arkansas's supply of midazolam expires — will make it impossible for Arkansas to carry out Appellees' just and lawful sentences."
Rutledge and her staff of more than 70 attorneys faced mounting legal setbacks starting Friday, when one death row inmate's execution was stayed after his lawyer challenged his mental competence and a temporary restraining order was placed on one of the lethal injection drugs.
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