BOISE, Idaho – Bryan Kohberger and his legal team appeared in a Boise courtroom to contest the death penalty, arguing that Idaho ‘lacks the means to carry out executions’.
Kohberger remained stoic as his legal team argued with judge Steven Hippler on the different available options in Idaho for execution which currently stand as lethal injection and firing squad.
Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s attorney, took the stand first as she argued against using the death penalty. The basis of her claims came from who recently had a failed lethal injection attempt.
She referenced this case as means to justify her claims that Idaho lacks humane and available options for execution.
“The way Idaho is doing it right now just isn’t working,” Taylor said.
Judge Steven Hippler addressed Taylor’s argument, noting that Creech’s failed attempt was due to staff being unable to find a viable vein and was not indicative of a universal issue.
The argument that Taylor tried to drive home with the court was that it was without an available option to execute.
She noted that without viable options this would cause ‘anxiety and fear’ for Kohberger which violates his rights.
Judge Hippler responded to the claims that in the recent case of Thomas Creech the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that the claims did not have merit under the ‘Uniform Post Conviction Procedure Act’.
Following Hippler’s response the State took the stand to argue to deny the motion.
The State argued that the processing time for death row inmates takes several years, and Idaho could have several more options for execution in the coming years.
During the hearing, Kohberger could be seen writing and passing notes to his attorney Anne Taylor as his legal team brought up expert witnesses they hope to call on.
Kohberger’s team explained that their witnesses, and University of Idaho professor Aliza Cover, have done extensive research on capital punishment.
The state argued that the expert witnesses’ testimonies could not be used as fact and emphasized that the constitutional law should be held above research.
