53.1-233 - Death chamber; who to execute death sentence. - Virginia Statutes

§ 53.1-233. Death chamber; who to execute death sentence.

The Director is hereby authorized and directed to provide and maintain apermanent death chamber and necessary appurtenant facilities within theconfines of a state correctional facility. The death chamber shall have allthe necessary appliances for the proper execution of prisoners byelectrocution or by continuous intravenous injection of a substance orcombination of substances sufficient to cause death. Any such substance shallbe applied until the prisoner is pronounced dead by a physician licensed inthe Commonwealth. All prisoners upon whom the death penalty has been imposedshall be executed in the death chamber. Each execution shall be conducted bythe Director or one or more assistants designated by him.

The identities of persons designated by the Director to conduct an execution,and any information reasonably calculated to lead to the identities of suchpersons, including, but not limited to, their names, residential or officeaddresses, residential or office telephone numbers, and social securitynumbers, shall be confidential, shall be exempt from the Freedom ofInformation Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), and shall not be subject to discoveryor introduction as evidence in any civil proceeding unless good cause isshown.

(Code 1950, §§ 19-275, 19-302, 53-317; 1960, c. 366; 1972, c. 145; 1978, c.667; 1982, c. 636; 1989, c. 541; 1994, c. 921; 2007, cc. 652, 737.)