Electric Chair

Electric Chair

Electric chair is a chair that is used to strap a condemned person using the electrocution process. An electric chair may be defined in four different ways. First, the entities that are made up of disabled people use the term electric chair to refer to an electric-managed wheelchair that has the ability to tip forward and to rotate. Secondly, it can be used to refer to the item that is used by wrestling professionals during their tournament. Thirdly, electric chair refers to the electric-powered stairlift. Lastly, it can refer to the series of paintings that were made by Andy Warhol in the 1960s. This paper will be based on the first definition of an electric chair as one of the methods used by judicial systems to persecute people who have been involved in serious crimes, for example, murder, terrorism or treason.

Origin of Electric Chair

In the US, the first case of executing using an electric chair occurred in 1890 at Auburn Prison that is based in New York. William Kemmler, a convict who was found guilty for murdering Matilda Ziegler, was the first person to be executed using an electric chair. The idea of executing an individual using an electrocution procedure was suggested by Albert Southwick in 1881. Southwick, who was a dentist, had witnessed a drunkard who died without experiencing any pain after he touched the terminals of a generator that was connected to electricity in New York. The idea was adopted by the Electrical Execution Law in New York, leading to the commissioning of Edwin Davis as the one to create an electric chair. The chair that Davis created had two electrodes. The electrodes were made up of metal disks that were joined using a rubber. The electrodes were applied to the back and head of a criminal.

During the execution of Kemmler, he was exposed to 700 volts for 17 seconds, but the current failed. Even though the witnesses noted that there was a smell of charred flesh and burnt clothing, Kemmler did not die after this process. This led to the preparation of a second shock that involved 1,030 volts that were applied for approximately two minutes. The smoke that was observed from the head of Kemmler was a clear indication that he had died. Just like in the modern medical world, an analysis was important to establish exactly what occurred in the process leading to the death of Kemmler. The autopsy that was conducted revealed that the electrode that was attached to the back of Kemmler had burned and it impacted on the spine.

Electric Chair

The Operations of an Electric Chair

According to Prevost and Battelli, renowned doctors in the US, death that is due to electrocution is caused by high voltages from electricity and not brain damage. The high voltage causes extensive rapid and irregular contractions within the heart leading to heart-stopping. During the execution procedure, the prisoner is prepared by first shaving his head. This is done to allow close contact between the electrodes and the skin. This is followed by strapping the prisoner into the chair at ankles, wrists, and waist. One of the electrodes is attached to one leg while another is attached to the head. Two thousand volts are first initiated with the objective of stopping the heart and cause unconsciousness.

In some states in the US, protocol requires that 2,450 volts be applied for 15 seconds.  The prisoner is exposed to an examination by a coroner after 15 minutes.  This cycle is repeated after 20 seconds, and it is done for an additional three times. The body of a prisoner may be heated up to about 100°C, leading to the damaging of internal organs. Another part of preparing a prisoner before execution is taping his eyes besides being offered diapers.

Even though death caused by electric chair is supposed to be instant, there have been cases where prisoners have shouted or shrieked when they are being electrocuted. In addition, cases of heads bursting into fire flames have also been experienced. Other reports have also noted some prisoners being removed from the chair that is not working well and taken back after the problem is fixed. During the execution process, some skin from the prisoner is burned off and that skin but be removed before the electric chair is used again.

The First Person to Survive an Electrocution

Willie Francis was the first person to survive electrocution as a way of execution. Francis was found guilty for murdering Andrew Thomas, an owner of a drugstore who had employed him. Notwithstanding two written confessions, he argued that he was not guilty. During the case, his lawyers were ineffective and did raise any objections. The attorneys also failed to question the usefulness of the confessions. After the trial that lasted for two days, Francis was found guilty resulting in the use of an electric chair to execute him in 1946. However, Francis survived the electrocution using the chair. According to the witnesses, the teenager was screaming as the lethal surge was being applied by the executors.

The portable electric chair that was used to execute Francis was known as Gruesome Gertie. The major problem with the chair was that it was not properly set by a prison guard who was intoxicated. After the failure of the execution, Bertrand DeBlanc, a young attorney, took over the Francis’ case. According to DeBlanc, the execution was cruel and unjust, and it was against the constitution. The case was forwarded to the Supreme Court, and the argument by DeBlanc was that the kind of punishment that Francis was being exposed to was unusual and cruel.

The Choice of Electric Chair

In most countries, the use of the electric chair is outdated. However, some accused person has chosen to use it. For example, in Tennessee, Nicholas Sutton decided to choose it in January 2020. Just like other inmates who are sentenced to death, Nicholas Sutton has the right to choose the manner through which the state can end his life. As established by law, the default punishment would be to use an injection that would sedate the criminal and then additional injections that would paralyze him or her and stop their heart. However, just like the other four inmates were electrocuted in 2018, Sutton chose to be executed using an electric chair connected to 1,750 volts. In the state of Tennessee, the electric chair is a technique of the past with no other state using it. According to lawyers and advocates, men who are condemned are choosing electric chair since they are fearing being frozen since this would discomfort to them.

During the execution process, many states had adopted lethal injection as the main method of executing the inmates. This is based on the views by lawmakers that this is a less violent and calmer way of executing a person instead of using electrocution. Nonetheless, the view of lawmakers has been challenged by many law enforcers due to problems and errors associated with lethal injection. For example, in 2014, an inmate who had undergone lethal injection regained consciousness. In addition, many companies producing drugs that are able to kill someone are hesitating to sell their drugs to the government since they do not want their products to be linked with ending lives. In the US, the death penalty has declined. For instance, in 2019, only seven states carried out the death penalty, whereby 22 executions were performed. In 2019, New Hampshire also abandoned capital punishment.

Conclusion

An electric chair can be defined in various ways, but this paper has exclusively dealt with the definition of an electric chair like the one used to execute prisoners. Electric chair originated from Albert Southwick, and the first case of execution was conducted at Auburn Prison in 1890. The chair uses electrodes and a high voltage to execute a prisoner. As indicated in the paper, Willie Francis was the first person to survive an execution using an electric chair after he was accused of murdering Andrew Thomas. Given the increasing cases of criminal activities, the electric chair can be a solution. However, it is vital for the criminal investigation department to undertake extensive investigation and examination before they execute a prisoner using electric chair. In addition, it is vital for prisoners to be given an opportunity to choose the way they want to die since that is their right.