Federal judge will allow Ohio execution to proceed

COLUMBUS (AP) — A federal judge is allowing Ohio’s next scheduled execution to proceed, concluding that the state is serious about following its lethal-injection procedures.

The decision today by U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost paves the way for the April 18 execution of Mark Wiles for stabbing a 15-year-old boy to death during a farmhouse burglary in 1985.

Judge Frost had previously criticized the state for deviations from its policy, saying even minor changes called into question the state’s ability to carry out executions correctly.