Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Wendell Griffen said Wednesday that he will issue a written ruling on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit from Arkansas death row inmates.
That ruling on the lawsuit, which challenges the state's secrecy law regarding its execution drug provider, is likely early next week, meaning it would come one week before the state is set to hold its first executions in nearly 10 years.
Nine inmates, eight who have executions scheduled and another on death row, filed the lawsuit in June challenging the legality of Act 1096, which passed earlier this year.
At Wednesday's hearing, parties for the state and plaintiffs presented oral arguments in the case.
The state's Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Merritt argued that the secrecy law is constitutional in affording necessary drug information, and the attorney for the plaintiffs, Josh Lee, argued that the law violates the inmates' rights of full disclosure.
Eight prisoners are scheduled for executions starting later this month and continuing through January.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
