Trystan Casey
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The method was conceived in 1881 and first used in 1890, becoming a symbol of capital punishment in the United States. Nationally, electrocution is outdated, with lethal injection being the primary method for executions. However, death row inmates in certain states, such as Tennessee, can choose to be executed by the electric chair. In this paragraph, we will explore the history of the electric chair and the notable individuals who have been executed using this method.
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What You'll Learn
Inmates choosing electric chair over lethal injection
The electric chair was first used in 1890 and became a symbol of capital punishment in the United States. It was originally thought to cause death through cerebral damage, but it was later discovered that death was caused by ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. In the late 1970s, the electric chair was replaced by lethal injection, which was considered more humane. However, in recent years, some inmates have chosen to be executed by electric chair instead of lethal injection.
In the United States, some states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee, still allow the electric chair as an option for execution. In these states, inmates who were sentenced to death before a certain date (usually 1999) can choose between lethal injection and electrocution.
Several inmates in Tennessee have chosen to be executed by electric chair rather than lethal injection. In 2018, David Earl Miller, who spent 36 years on death row, argued that lethal injection would lead to a prolonged and painful death. Another inmate, Nicholas Sutton, chose the electric chair because he feared being frozen in place and feeling intense discomfort while the lethal injection drugs took effect.
Inmates who choose the electric chair over lethal injection believe that it is a faster and more certain way to die. They argue that lethal injection has failed in some instances, resulting in a prolonged and painful death. However, critics argue that the electric chair is also a form of cruel and unusual punishment that should be abolished.
The choice between lethal injection and the electric chair is a difficult one, and there are arguments for and against each method. Ultimately, the decision rests with the inmate, and their choice should be respected.
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Botched executions
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The method was conceived in 1881 as a more humane alternative to hanging. However, several botched executions have occurred over the years, casting doubt on this claim.
One of the earliest recorded botched executions by electric chair was that of William Kemmler in 1890. The execution took eight minutes, during which the blood vessels under Kemmler's skin ruptured and bled out. In 1931, Nathan Burton was executed in Florida's state chair when the high-voltage wire snapped, resulting in an arc flash. Although the power was immediately cut, the prison physician pronounced Burton dead.
In 1946, Louisiana's portable electric chair failed to kill Willie Francis. An investigation revealed that the chair had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate. Francis reportedly shouted, "Take it off! Let me breathe!" before losing consciousness. He was returned to the electric chair and successfully executed in 1947.
In 1956, James Larry Upton was executed in New Mexico. The cap for the head electrode did not fit, so an improvised cap made from a parka was used. During the execution, the fur on the parka caught fire, and Upton's head was engulfed in flames. More recently, in 1990, Jesse Tafero's face and head caught fire during his execution in Florida. It took three jolts of power to stop his breathing.
These botched executions have sparked controversy and criticism of the electric chair as a method of capital punishment. Some argue that it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and have called for its abolition. Despite this, death row inmates in some states, such as Tennessee, still have the option to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair.
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The electric chair's invention
The electric chair was conceived as a method of execution in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York. Southwick's idea arose from an accident in his hometown of Buffalo, where a drunken dock worker named George Lemuel Smith was killed by high-voltage currents at a Brush Electric Company arc lighting power house.
In 1886, New York State governor David B. Hill set up a three-member death penalty commission to investigate a more humane means of execution. The commission included Southwick, human rights advocate Elbridge Thomas Gerry, and New York lawyer and politician Matthew Hale. They explored various forms of execution and recommended electrocution using Southwick's idea of an electric chair with metal conductors attached to the condemned person's head and feet.
In 1888, a bill following these recommendations was passed and signed by Governor Hill, set to go into effect on January 1, 1889. The New York Medico-Legal Society, an informal society composed of doctors and lawyers, was tasked with determining the type and amount of electricity to be used. The committee recommended 3000 volts, but the type of electricity, direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), was not determined.
Harold Brown, an inventor hired by the Edison research facility, and his assistant, Doctor Fred Peterson, began designing an electric chair for Edison. They experimented with both DC and AC voltages, demonstrating that AC killed more swiftly. Doctor Peterson, who was also the head of the government committee selecting the design for the electric chair, announced that the electric chair with AC voltage was chosen for the statewide prison system.
The first electric chair execution took place in 1890, when New York executed William Kemmler. Soon, other states adopted this method of execution, and the electric chair became a symbol of capital punishment in the United States. However, its use has declined in recent years, with lethal injection being perceived as a more humane alternative.
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The electric chair's use in Tennessee
The use of the electric chair in Tennessee has been a controversial topic. Since 2018, the state has executed five death row inmates using this method, with the most recent taking place in February 2020.
Tennessee is one of nine states where the electric chair is a possible method of execution. It is often a secondary option based on the prisoner's preference, except in cases where lethal injection drugs are unavailable. Inmates whose crimes were committed before 1999 can choose between the electric chair and lethal injection. This has been deemed unconstitutional by some, including Edmund Zagorski, who was executed in this manner after a supreme court battle. Zagorski argued that being forced to choose between two inhumane killing techniques was unconstitutional.
Lee Hall, also known as Leroy Hall Jr., was another inmate executed by electric chair in Tennessee. He was convicted of the 1991 murder of his ex-girlfriend Traci Crozier and sentenced to death in 1992. Hall was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. CST, and media witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be smoke and a drop of blood during the execution.
Nicholas Todd Sutton, also known as Nick Sutton, was the fifth person to be executed by electric chair in Tennessee since 2018. He chose the electric chair over lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. on February 20, 2020. Sutton had spent his entire adult life in prison, convicted of killing four people, including his grandmother and a fellow inmate, Carl Estep.
The electric chair was first proposed in 1881 as a "humane alternative" to hanging. However, it is now viewed as a barbaric method of execution, with concerns raised about the pain and suffering it may cause. Some states, like Georgia and Nebraska, have banned its use due to these concerns.
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The electric chair's use in Texas
Texas has a long and complex history of using the electric chair as a means of execution. In 1923, Texas changed its execution laws, mandating that all executions be carried out by electric chair at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, also known as the Huntsville Unit. This centralised the process, as prior to 1923, Texas counties were responsible for their own executions.
The first inmate to be executed by electrocution in Texas was Charles Reynolds on February 8, 1924. On the same day, four additional inmates, Ewell Morris, George Washington, Mack Matthews, and Melvin Johnson, were also put to death. Texas conducted multiple executions on a single day on several occasions, with the last instance of this occurring on August 9, 2000.
The electric chair was located by the East Wall of the Huntsville Unit from 1952 until 1965. The last person to be executed by electric chair in Texas was Joseph Johnson, who died on July 30, 1964. He was the 361st and final man to be executed by electrocution in the state.
In 1972, capital punishment was declared "cruel and unusual punishment" by the U.S. Supreme Court, and death sentences in Texas were commuted to life imprisonment. However, in 1973, revisions to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed for the death penalty, with lethal injection becoming the state's chosen method of execution in 1977. Texas has since seen a high number of executions, with 279 taking place during the Governorship of Rick Perry (2000-2015).
Texas has continued to make changes to its death penalty laws and procedures in recent years. In 2005, the state changed the law to make capital murderers sentenced to life in prison ineligible for parole. In 2011, Texas ceased providing special last meals to inmates awaiting execution, and in 2019, the tradition of allowing a chaplain to stand with the prisoner during execution was discontinued.
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Frequently asked questions
William Kemmler was the first person to be executed by electric chair in 1890.
Texas has executed 361 inmates by electric chair, the most of any state.
New York was the first state to adopt the electric chair as a method of execution in 1888.
Tennessee was the most recent state to use the electric chair for execution, with the execution of Nicholas Sutton in 2020.
