Idaho Supreme Court dismisses death row inmate’s appeal

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho Supreme Court has sided with a district court decision to dismiss an appeal for Thomas Creech.

Creech is Idaho's longest-standing inmate. He was sentenced in 1995 after being convicted of killing five people.

The Idaho Department of Corrections attempted to execute Creech by lethal injection last February, but the process failed due to the inability to establish reliable peripheral intravenous access. After numerous attempts, the procedure was stopped.

Attorneys for Creech appealed to the district court over the process of administering lethal injection drugs by using a central line catheter because it would constitute cruel and unusual punishment. The district court dismissed the appeal and set an execution date for November 13. Creech then appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court halting the execution.

On Wednesday, the Idaho Supreme Court upheld the district court's ruling. It also said that Creech failed to state a claim under the Eighth Amendment because he failed to propose an alternative execution method.

It is now up to federal courts to determine what happens next for Creech.