Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe U.S. Supreme Court granted a reprieve to Alabama inmate Jeffery Lee, halting his scheduled execution by nitrogen gas. In a 6-3 decision, the high court declined to overturn a lower-court ruling that deemed the nitrogen gas method unconstitutionally cruel. This decision thwarted Alabama's last-minute legal effort to proceed with the execution, which was called off for the evening. Lee's legal team praised the ruling, noting his jury had initially voted for a life sentence, while Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall vowed to continue seeking to carry out the sentence. The ruling marks a temporary victory for opponents of capital punishment in Alabama, a state known for frequent executions, amidst an ongoing debate over the humaneness of nitrogen gas. In fullSupreme Court denies Alabama’s eleventh-hour attempt to execute Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gasThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

A federal appeals court says Alabama's use of nitrogen gas for executions needs more study to see if it violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday permanently blocked Alabama from executing an inmate with nitrogen gas after declaring the method violates the ban on cruel and…