Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine lifted a moratorium on state executions Wednesday shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the rights of states to use lethal injection to enforce the death penalty.

The execution ban lasted just 15 days — Kaine issued it April 1 to prevent the planned April 8 execution of Edward Bell, who had been convicted of capital murder for killing a Winchester police officer in 1999. His execution was rescheduled for July 24.

The Supreme Court’s 7-2 ruling approved Kentucky’s power to execute a prisoner using injection, rejecting claims by two plaintiffs, Ralph Baze and Thomas Bowling, that it constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.”

The decision followed months of delays in executions nationwide as wary states waited for clarity.

This story continues below
Advertisement

“In light of the Supreme Court ruling, executions will move forward according to the procedures that were in place prior to the court’s agreement to hear Baze last September,” Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey said. “The governor will continue to review any clemency requests on a case-by-case basis.”

Three Virginia death row inmates are awaiting executions May 27, June 10 and July 24, Virginia Attorney General spokesman David Clementson said.

Kaine, a Democrat, said during his 2005 gubernatorial campaign that he would permit capital punishment despite his personal objections to the death penalty.

Republicans had criticized Kaine’s moratorium, which postponed Bell’s execution to late July, arguing that the governor was using the case to neutralize his campaign pledge.

“It was part of his campaign pledge and he wouldn’t have been elected if he hadn’t made it,” said House Majority Leader, Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem. “If we hadn’t been vigilant in calling the governor on that, maybe he wouldn’t have done this today.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com