Execution scheduled for August 8, with defense raising concerns over untested drug combination.
A Utah judge has set an execution date for Taberon Dave Honie, who was convicted of the 1998 murder of a 49-year-old woman, despite concerns raised by his defense team regarding a new combination of lethal injection drugs. Honie, now 48, has been on death row for decades after failing to secure any successful appeals. His execution, set for August 8, will be the state’s first public execution since 2010, when Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed by firing squad.
During a Monday court hearing, Honie’s attorney, Eric Zuckerman, expressed concerns over the newly proposed combination of drugs for the execution, which includes fentanyl, potassium chloride, and ketamine. Zuckerman emphasized that his legal team was only informed about the drug combination on Friday, leaving insufficient time to evaluate its effects and allow Honie to make an informed decision about his execution. The state’s failure to provide full details about the doses and execution procedures also raised alarm among the defense team, as ketamine has never been used in an execution in Utah before.
While fentanyl and potassium chloride have been used in lethal injections before, the inclusion of ketamine — a sedative that has not been used in this context — led to concerns about its potential effects and the lack of clear protocols. Zuckerman requested more time and transparency to consult with medical experts, arguing that the state’s approach to the execution process lacked proper procedures and could compromise Honie’s constitutional rights.
On the other hand, Dan Bokovoy, representing the Utah Department of Corrections, argued that state law did not require an update to the written execution protocols, defending the new drug combination as permissible. Daniel Boyer, an attorney for the Utah Attorney General’s office, pointed out that Honie had exhausted all his appeals, leaving the judge with no legal option but to approve the execution date.
Judge Jeffrey Wilcox sided with the state, ruling that the execution should proceed without further delay. He stated that there was no legal requirement to halt the execution based on the arguments presented by the defense. Wilcox also noted that prisoners do not have a due process right to receive detailed information about the specific terms of their execution protocol.
However, Judge Wilcox did request that information regarding the administration of the drugs be provided to Honie as soon as possible, allowing him to be fully informed about the execution procedure ahead of time. This ruling continues to raise debates on the ethical concerns surrounding lethal injections and the use of untested drugs in capital punishment cases.
The scheduled execution in August will be a significant moment for Utah, as it marks the continuation of the state’s use of capital punishment despite growing opposition and concerns about the methods used. The case highlights ongoing debates over the ethics of the death penalty and the use of lethal injection, as well as the legal complexities surrounding the execution process.