Federal judge clears way for Ohio execution

Federal judge clears way for Ohio execution

COLUMBUS

A federal judge has cleared the way for this month’s execution of Portage County killer Mark Wiles.

In a sternly worded decision Wednesday that starts with the question “Can Ohio Be Trusted?” and ends with “some trepidation,” Judge Gregory Frost denied a temporary restraining order to block the April 18 lethal injection, essentially accepting a revised execution process outlined by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

But in the 49-page ruling, Frost wrote that he was skeptical state prison officials would actually follow through on their execution protocols, and he gave a warning against future failures.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Vindicator or vindy.com