Although the Victims Family Begged Public Master Kay Ivey to Allow Joe Nathan James to Live, Alabama Authorities Murdered Him in a Botched Execution on Thurs, Took 3 Hours to Set IV-line for Black Man

From [DPIC] Alabama put Joe Nathan James, Jr. to death on July 28, 2022 against the wishes of his victim’s family in an execution marred by an hours-long failure to set a lethal-injection intravenous line and an embarrassing dress-code controversy in which a corrections official told a female reporter she would not be able to witness the execution because her skirt was too short and she was wearing open-toed shoes and subjected another female reporter to a clothing inspection. 

The daughters and brother of Faith Hall had asked Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall to stop the execution, saying it would further victimize the family. When their request was denied, the Halls released a statement saying, “We pray that God allows us to find healing after today and that one day our criminal justice system will listen to the cries of families like ours even if it goes against what the state wishes. Our voices matter and so does the life of Mr. Joe Nathan James, Jr.”

The execution was scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. Central time, but for reasons ADOC refused to explain it was delayed for three hours. After hours of cryptic evasions of reporters’ questions about the delay, ADOC issued a statement obliquely indicating that the execution team had experienced troubles setting the IV-line. “As Commissioner John Hamm stated last night, when carrying out the ultimate punishment, we have protocols that lay out a very deliberate process to make sure the court's order is carried out correctly,” the statement said. “ADOC's execution team strictly followed the established protocol. The protocol states that if the veins are such that intravenous access cannot be provided, the team will perform a central line procedure. Fortunately, this was not necessary and with adequate time, intravenous access was established.”

The execution put Alabama in the international spotlight when an ADOC corrections official informed award-winning AL.com reporter Ivana Hrynkiw that she could not enter the prison to witness the execution because a skirt that she had worn while witnessing three prior executions was “too short.” As reported in newspapers in England and New Zealand, a male cameraman from a different media outlet provided Hrynkiw a pair of fishing waders with suspenders, after which the corrections official said she could not wear open-toed shoes in the facility because they were “too revealing.” Hrynkiw then retrieved a pair of tennis shoes from her car. The corrections official also subjected veteran Associated Press reporter Kim Chandler to a clothing inspection before deeming her attire acceptable. 

On July 29, AL.com sent a formal complaint to ADOC, Gov. Ivey and Attorney General Marshall. Kelly Ann Scott, editor in chief and vice president of content for Alabama Media Group blasted ADOC for what she called “unacceptable, unequal treatment.” “This was sexist and an egregious breach of professional conduct. And it should not happen to any other reporter again," Scott said.

Associated Press Executive Editor Julie Pace sent a letter to Gov. Ivey saying that “[s]ingling out female reporters for arbitrary clothing inspections is humiliating, discriminatory and simply unacceptable behavior toward professional journalists trying to cover one of the most serious events they are called upon to witness.” Pace asked Ivey to investigate ADOC’s conduct to “ensure such behavior is not tolerated and does not occur again.”