Here's another reason why I support the death penalty.

From Best of the Web Today:

The Undeath Penalty
"A federal judge refused [yesterday] to block next week's scheduled execution of Michael Morales for the 1981 murder of a 17-year-old Lodi girl," the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

However, the judge said the state must place someone in the death chamber with medical training to make sure Morales is unconscious during the lethal injection procedure. . . .

In today's order, [Judge Jeremy] Fogel said defense lawyers had raised a "substantial question'' about the administration of lethal injection in California. But he said the state's interest in proceeding with an execution for a murder committed 25 years ago could be satisfied without violating Morales' "constitutional right not to be subject to an undue risk of extreme pain.''

ProDeathPenalty.com (scroll down) has the background on the man Fogel wants to spare from "an undue risk of extreme pain." In 1981, Morales's cousin, Rick Ortega, had a homosexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy named Randy, who was also dating 17-year-old Terri Winchell. Ortega was jealous:

Ortega and Morales conspired to murder Terri as "pay back" for Terri's involvement with Randy. . . . In the weeks before the murder, Ortega set up a ruse to trick Terri into believing that Ortega wanted to make amends and become her friend. Morales "practiced" how he was going to strangle Terri, and told his girlfriend on the day of the murder how he was going to strangle and "hurt" someone.

The day of the murder, Ortega tricked Terri into accompanying him and Morales in Ortega's car to a remote area near Lodi, California. There, Morales attacked Terri from behind and attempted to strangle her with his belt. Terri struggled and the belt broke in two. Morales then took out a hammer and began hitting Terri in the head with it. She screamed for Ortega to help and attempted to fight off the attack, ripping her own hair out of her scalp in the struggle.

Morales beat Terri into unconsciousness, crushing her skull and leaving 23 identifiable wounds in her skull. Morales took Terri from the car and instructed Ortega to leave and come back later. Ortega left and Morales then dragged Terri face-down across the road and into a vineyard. Morales then raped her while she lay unconscious.

Morales then started to leave, but went back and stabbed Terri four times in the chest to make sure she died. Morales then left Terri, calling her "a f---ing bitch," as he walked away. Terri died from both the head and chest wounds.

Reports the Chronicle: "Fogel said the execution could proceed if, by the close of business Wednesday, the state provided the name of a person with training and experience in anesthesia to attend the execution. That person would verify that Morales was rendered unconscious by the first of the three chemicals and did not regain consciousness until he was pronounced dead."

I know what you're thinking, kiddies. "Sure, Fyodor, all murders seem really bad when you know the details..."

Just humor me on this one, will ya? Let's put this vicious killer to death. He's had more than enough time to get himself right with God and we're making sure he won't suffer like Terri Winchell did.