Idaho Judge Schedules Execution for Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate
An Idaho judge made a big decision last Thursday. He issued a “death warrant” for the state’s longest-serving death row inmate, Thomas Creech. That means Creech is scheduled to be executed next month. The date set for this serious event is November 8.
A Long History of Legal Troubles
Thomas Creech got into serious trouble way back in 1974. He was convicted of killing two people in Valley County and was sentenced to death row. But later, he got a reduced sentence to life in prison after an appeal. However, that didn’t last long. Less than 10 years later, he was in more trouble. This time, he was convicted of beating another inmate to death with a sock filled with batteries. This horrific act landed him back on death row in 1983.
Lethal Injection on the Horizon
The death warrant was issued by 4th District Judge Jason Scott on a Thursday afternoon. The Idaho Department of Correction announced that Creech’s execution will take place through lethal injection. They made sure they had all the necessary chemicals for this kind of execution.
Chemical Challenges in Idaho
In the past, Idaho had some difficulty getting the right chemicals for lethal injections. They even scheduled and canceled an execution for another inmate named Gerald Pizzuto Jr. multiple times. Gerald had been on death row for over 30 years due to his role in the 1985 slayings of two gold prospectors. A federal judge finally told the prison leaders to stop playing this on-again, off-again game, as it was considered cruel and unusual punishment.
Legal Challenges Ahead
Deborah Czuba, from the Federal Defender Services of Idaho, isn’t happy about the state’s decision to execute Creech. She promised to fight for his life. They plan to seek clemency and challenge the quality of the execution drugs. Czuba also raised concerns about where the state gets these lethal drugs and how they’ve handled past executions.
She feels the state is rushing to carry out this execution, without thinking about whether it’s the right thing to do.