Can doctors be involved in executions?

Question

Can doctors be involved in executions?

Answer 1

If they can be involved in abortion why not executions.

Answer 2

If they are convicted of a capital crime, sure *smiles*.

Answer 3

Yes.  In most state that use a lethal injection, if not all, a doctor is required to administer the poison.

Doctors can also be witnesses to executions.  And in some cases, even the primary participant.

Answer 4

Legally, there is nothing preventing them from being involved.  However, most doctors refuse to participate in executions due to their hypocratic oath, which at it's most basic is, "Do no harm".  So, doctors are not legally prohibited from being involved in executions, but ethically object to it.

The only exception that I would know of would be a doctor that might pronounce an inmate dead after his or her execution.  Even in those situations, I believe that it is a paramedic versus a doctor.

Answer 5

well someone has to certify that they are dead, so they must be.

Less sure on this one, but I believe you also have to be of fit body and mind to be executed, so again a Doc would be involved there.