Prosecutors Want Death Penalty Drug Info Shielded

Ohio prosecutors are pushing for laws that would shield the identity of pharmacies making a specialized dose of a lethal drug.
 
Draft legislation that could be debated later this year also would grant anonymity to members of the state execution team and prevent doctors who consult with Ohio about its execution policy from being disciplined.
 
John Murphy, executive director of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, said Thursday that without a viable execution method there won't be a death penalty in Ohio.
 
Executions are on hold until February. A federal judge temporarily stopped them as questions mounted about the effectiveness of Ohio's new, two-drug process.
 
If enacted, laws shielding pharmacy identities undoubtedly would trigger lawsuits opposing them.
 
The proposals were first reported by The Columbus Dispatch.