FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- A judge says he will issue a ruling Tuesday on whether to grant an injunction that could halt Kentucky's first execution in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Gov. Steve Beshear says he's met with church leaders and mental health representatives regarding the scheduled execution Friday of Marco Allen Chapman but believes capital punishment is justified in what he called a "vicious and almost indescribable crime."
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd heard arguments on Monday dealing with whether the Kentucky Department of Corrections followed proper protocol in developing regulations regarding executions by lethal injections.
Attorney Philip Longmeyer argued that the state agency didn't because it held no public hearings before adopting current regulations.
Attorney David Smith of the state attorney general's office says public hearings weren't necessary because state law specifies the protocol.
Longmeyer asked for an injunction to halt all executions until the issue is decided.
If Shepherd grants the injunction, it will Chapman's execution.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
