Nebraska Prisons Director Won't Reveal Lethal Injection Protocol -- and the AG is Backing Him Up

Nebraska's prisons director doesn't want to talk publicly about his department's lethal injection protocol — how he developed it or where he got the drugs to carry out the death penalty intended, so far, for two condemned prisoners.

May 03, 2018 •

Nebraska's prisons director doesn't want to talk publicly about his department's lethal injection protocol — how he developed it or where he got the drugs to carry out the death penalty intended, so far, for two condemned prisoners.

Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes is fighting lawsuits aimed at making him reveal what he knows. And now, he's filed one of his own against a legislative committee trying to force him to answer questions.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and the Corrections director are suing state senators on the Judiciary Committee and Executive Board over a subpoena issued to Frakes.

The subpoena, dated April 24 and signed by Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Laura Ebke and Clerk of the the Legislature Patrick O'Donnell, would require Frakes to testify before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about the preparation, adoption and application of the department's lethal injection protocol, and its constitutionality.

Natalie Delgadillo

Natalie Delgadillo is an editor and writer living in Washington, D.C. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Bloomberg's CityLab, and The Atlantic. She was previously the managing editor of DCist.

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Nebraska Prisons Director Won't Reveal Lethal Injection Protocol -- and the AG is Backing Him Up

Nebraska's prisons director doesn't want to talk publicly about his department's lethal injection protocol — how he developed it or where he got the drugs to carry out the death penalty intended, so far, for two condemned prisoners.