Judge Halts Second Ohio Execution

Executions in Ohio may be on hold again as state prison officials refine their lethal-injection protocol to meet a federal judge’s requirements.

Without objection from Attorney General Mike DeWine Thursday, U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost halted the execution scheduled for Feb. 22 of Michael Webb of Clermont County. Frost also allowed Webb to join other death-penalty defendants in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s lethal-injection protocol.

“We felt we had no choice,” DeWine said. “We’re not going to carry out another execution without it being perfect.”

DeWine said the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has made “great progress” in refining lethal-injection procedures, “but we’re not quite done with that.” The attorney general participated in a conference call on Wednesday with Frost and other parties in the case.

Gov. John Kasich also signed off on the deal.

“Given the seriousness of the issue, the governor believes that if we need to take extra time to reaffirm that DRC is following its protocol, we will do so, and that is why we did not object to the stay,” said the governor’s spokesman, Rob Nichols.

Frost’s ruling will result in a potentially lengthy reprieve for Webb, 63, of Goshen, Ohio, who was convicted and sentenced to death for setting fire to the family home on Nov. 21, 1990, causing the death of his son, Mikey, 3 1/2. Webb says he is not guilty and that someone else ignited the blaze.

If Webb’s execution is reordered, the Ohio Supreme Court would have to set a new death date. Executions are now scheduled through January 2014.

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