By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – The U-S Supreme Court wants to review an appeal from death row inmate David Larry Nelson. The court stopped Nelson's execution yesterday afternoon, less than three hours before he was to die by lethal injection. Justices said they want a closer look at arguments that lethal injection would constitute cruel and unusual punishment for Nelson. His attorneys say Nelson has collapsed veins, and it would require a very painful procedure to administer the injection. If the Supreme Court grants a full review, the stay will remain in place until a final ruling is issued. If the court does not decide to hear the full appeal, the stay will be lifted. This is the second time Nelson's scheduled execution has been stopped. He was first scheduled to die in 1996 but received a stay because a physician said Nelson could be a kidney donor for his brother. That operation never took place. Nelson was convicted of two murders, one on New Year's eve 1977 and another on New Year's day 1978.