Executions put on hold until review

The state Court of Appeals ruled in Baltimore that executions cannot proceed in the state until a legislative panel reviews the protocol for lethal injections.

The court said the execution manual was never given a public hearing or properly submitted for legislative review before the Department of Corrections adopted it.

The ruling comes as states nationwide are scrutinizing lethal injection procedures. Last week, a moratorium was placed on executions in Florida after a lethal injection was botched. Executions also have been halted in Missouri and California because of lethal injection concerns.