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Death Row Inmate Challenges Virginia Execution Drugs

amnestyusa.org

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Attorneys of a condemned Virginia inmate are asking a federal judge to halt his scheduled execution so they can challenge the state's plan to use drugs from a secret compounding pharmacy.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson heard arguments Tuesday from attorneys for Ricky Gray, who are seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction in his case. Hudson also heard from attorneys for the state, who say the execution should proceed.

Witnesses who testified included doctors and A. David Robinson, the chief of operations for the Department of Corrections.

Gray is scheduled to be executed Jan. 18. He was convicted of killing a Richmond couple and their young daughters on New Year's Day in 2006.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.