Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 137 § 137.473 — Means
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 137 ·
Oregon Code § 137.473·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Means
of inflicting death; place and procedures; acquisition of lethal substance.
(1) The punishment of death shall
be inflicted by the intravenous administration of a lethal quantity of an
ultra-short-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent
and potassium chloride or other equally effective substances sufficient to
cause death. The judgment shall be executed by the superintendent of the
Department of Corrections institution in which the execution takes place, or by
the designee of that superintendent. All executions shall take place within the
enclosure of a Department of Corrections institution designated by the Director
of the Department of Corrections. The superintendent of the institution shall
be present at the execution and shall invite the presence of one or more
physicians, physician associates or nurse practitioners, the Attorney General,
the sheriff of the county in which the judgment was rendered and
representatives from the media. At the request of the defendant, the
superintendent shall allow no more than two members of the clergy designated by
the defendant to be present at the execution. At the discretion of the
superintendent, no more than five friends and relatives designated by the
defendant may be present at the execution. The superintendent shall allow the
presence of any peace officers as the superintendent thinks expedient.
(2) The person
who administers the lethal injection under subsection (1) of this section shall
not thereby be considered to be engaged in the practice of medicine.
(3)(a) Any
wholesale distributor drug outlet, as defined in ORS 689.005, registered with
the State Board of Pharmacy under ORS 689.305 may provide the lethal substance
or substances described in subsection (1) of this section upon written order of
the Director of the Department of Corrections, accompanied by a certified copy
of the judgment of the court imposing the punishment.
(b) For purposes
of ORS 689.527 (7) the director shall be considered authorized to purchase the
lethal substance or substances described in subsection (1) of this section.
(c) The lethal
substance or substances described in subsection (1) of this section are not
controlled substances when purchased, possessed or used for purposes of this
section.
(4) The
superintendent may require that persons who are present at the execution under
subsection (1) of this section view the initial execution procedures, prior to
the point of the administration of the lethal injection, by means of a
simultaneous closed-circuit television transmission under the direction and
control of the superintendent. [1985 c.3 §7; 1987 c.320 §38; 1993 c.137 §1;
2001 c.104 §46; 2001 c.213 §1; 2003 c.103 §4; 2005 c.471 §9; 2014 c.45 §24;
2023 c.93 §3; 2024 c.73 §38]
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Means
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 137.473
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
This section of Oregon law addresses Means
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