An appeal by the Department of Correction seeking to keep the origins of one of the state's execution drugs secret was dismissed by the Arkansas Supreme Court on Monday.
A majority of the justices, in an opinion released late in the afternoon, said the state had failed to file a Pulaski County judge's written order with the high court, forcing the high court to dismiss the case.
The lower court order, by Circuit Judge Wendell Griffin, told the prisons department to release package inserts and drug labels for a recently acquired batch of potassium chloride. Griffen delivered an oral ruling Thursday evening, prompting the state appeal, followed by a written order Friday.
On Monday, the majority did not release an opinion explaining its decision. However, Justice Rhonda Wood wrote a three-page dissent stating the court should have told the state to include the record of Griffen's ruling instead of dismissing the case. Wood was joined by Justice Shawn Womack in her dissent.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.