Alabama Resumes Executions with Death of James Barber

Alabama can proceed with the execution of James Barber, its first since lifting a pause on capital punishment in February. A federal appeals court panel rejected Barber's request to block his execution, stating that the Alabama Department of Corrections has amended its execution procedures. However, a dissenting judge criticized the lack of transparency in the state's execution review process. Barber, who has been on death row for almost 20 years, expressed skepticism about the state's ability to carry out the execution without incident. The planned execution will be the first to proceed under a new procedure approved by the state Supreme Court, allowing the governor to set a time frame for the execution.