Commentary: Barbarism on hold as judge halts Trump's effort to restart federal executions

A federal judge late Wednesday froze the Trump administration's plan to resume executions of convicted murders, ruling that the method of execution the government intended to use violated the Federal Death Penalty Act requiring that it kill condemned prisoners using practices followed by the states in which the sentences were handed down.

Letting the government go forward with four planned executions beginning next month would, obviously, end the defendants' ability to pursue their legal challenge.

It's somewhat arcane, I know, but interesting on