Execution in Florida

Loran Cole, a 57-year-old death row inmate in Florida, is scheduled for execution on Thursday, despite his attorneys arguing that his Parkinson's disease symptoms could complicate the lethal injection process, potentially causing him unnecessary pain. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody contends that Cole's claims are delayed and speculative, as he has experienced symptoms since 2017 but only raised concerns after his death warrant was signed in July. Cole's legal team has filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the execution and to request an evidentiary hearing regarding the state's lethal injection procedures. The Florida Supreme Court has previously rejected similar appeals, stating that Cole's arguments lack legal sufficiency. Cole was convicted of the 1994 kidnapping, rape, and murder of John Edwards, and his case has garnered attention amid increasing scrutiny of death penalty procedures in the U.S. Many of these procedures remain exempt from public records, contributing to ongoing debates over their transparency and humanity.