Clarence Dixon Executed

After eight years, the last time reported botched, Arizon executed someone else. The Supreme Court rejected his final appeal (citing mental illness) without comment. Again, I don't find that right. They should have a brief comment and this executed in particular deserved a few words from a liberal dissenter.

Telling comment: "Arizona now has 112 prisoners left on the state’s death row." The AP story says the execution went smoothly, but other reports says they struggled for twenty-five minutes to place the IV. Another wrinkle I saw: Dixon was a Native American of a tribe morally against the death penalty.

Dixon had various health problems and was sixty-six when he died for a long ago crime. If executions are ever justified, there were enough questions of his state of mind, and the safety factors involved (no escape from prison etc.), to make his a bad call. Only six executions this year and still there continues to be problems.