Poll favors life imprisonment after failed execution

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that more Americans favor life imprisonment than another execution attempt for people who survive an execution, following Christa Pike’s failed lethal injection in Tennessee. The survey found 39% supported life imprisonment, 33% favored trying again and 26% were unsure. The poll surveyed 1,679 U.S. adults online over four days ending October 19. Its margin of error was two percentage points. The results concern what should happen to people who survive an execution attempt, rather than asking respondents specifically what should happen in Pike’s case. Pike survived two administrations of pentobarbital during Tennessee’s September 30 execution attempt. She was taken to a hospital unconscious and regained consciousness five days later, according to the poll reports. She was discharged on October 10 and returned to the Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she had been held. Pike’s lawyer, Kelly Gleason, said Pike could speak in complete sentences and was increasingly able to walk independently. Gleason said Pike’s cognitive and psychological condition remained under evaluation. The lawyer’s account did not establish what lasting effects, if...