Supreme Court won’t reinstate botched execution lawsuit

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is declining to reinstate a civil rights lawsuit filed by the brother of an Oklahoma man whose botched execution in 2014 lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour.

The justices on Monday left in place lower court rulings dismissing the suit against Gov. Mary Fallin and other officials. The suit was filed by Gary Lockett, brother of Clayton Lockett.

Clayton Lockett writhed on the gurney, mumbled and strained to lift his head before he was declared dead 43 minutes after the execution began.

An investigation determined that the execution team didn’t have the proper equipment and that an intravenous line in Lockett’s groin hadn’t been properly set, resulting in the execution drugs being injected into his tissue instead of his bloodstream.