Court Rules State Can Proceed With Valle Execution

The Florida Supreme Court says that the state can proceed with the execution of Manuel Valle, who killed a Coral Gables police officer 33 years ago.

 

The court issued a stay last month until a lower court could hold a hearing on Valle's claim that a new lethal injection drug may cause him to feel pain during his execution, which had been set

for Aug. 2.

 

A Miami-Dade Circuit judge rejected Valle's claim earlier this month and the Supreme Court lifted the stay on Tuesday.

 

Valle, 61, was sentenced to die for the 1978 shooting death of Coral Gables police officer Louis Pena. His death warrant was the first signed by Gov. Rick Scott.

 

The Department of Corrections hasn't set a new date for the execution.