(WKYT) – Kentucky’s Supreme Court has again denied Attorney General Russell Coleman’s petition to restart executions, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The petition was tied to the case of Ralph Baze, a death row inmate condemned for killing a Powell County sheriff and deputy in 1992.
The court said key questions about how Kentucky carries out the death penalty remain unresolved, even though Governor Andy Beshear signed a death warrant.
Coleman has said many of the issues outlined decades ago surrounding executions have been resolved to the point that the governor could sign off on a death warrant, at least for Baze.
[READ COLEMAN’S FULL STATEMENT BELOW]
“All seven justices agree that the decision to deliver justice to the families of Powell County Sheriff Steve Bennett and Deputy Arthur Briscoe is up to Governor Beshear. The Governor can sign a death warrant for Ralph Baze today. Until the Governor stops hiding and fulfills his legal duty, we will continue pushing for justice in every way.”