Sentenced to death by nitrogen in Louisiana asked court for more humane method

Jesse Hoffman Jr., sentenced to death with nitrogen in Louisiana, convicted of murder in 1996, is asking the court for a more humane method. This was reported on March 8 by the Associated Press (AP).

It is clarified that Hoffman Jr.'s lawyers spoke in the federal court of Baton Rouge against the method of capital punishment using nitrogen hypoxia.

Among their arguments, the defense stated that nitrogen hypoxia is a cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution and violates Hoffman's freedom to practice his religion, in particular Buddhist breathing and meditation exercises.

They also argued that the method, which involves an industrial mask covering the entire face, would worsen his diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and claustrophobia.

According to the lawyers, shooting or taking an oral drug solution mixed with apple juice are alternative methods of execution that would be more "humane."

However, as the agency clarified, the only methods of execution for carrying out the death sentence specified in the Louisiana law are nitrogen hypoxia, lethal injection and electric shock.

On this day, for the first time in 15 years, a criminal sentenced to death was shot in the United States. He was sentenced to death for a double murder in 2002. The dead were relatives of his ex-girlfriend, whom he also tried to kidnap.