South Carolina court blocks executions, saying inmates must have choice of firing squad

New law says death row prisoners must choose between electric chair and firing squad if lethal drugs aren't available

South Carolina's supreme court has blocked the planned executions of two inmates by electrocution, saying they cannot be put to death until they truly have the choice of the firing squad option set out in the state's newly revised capital punishment law.

The high court on Wednesday halted this month's scheduled executions of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens, writing that corrections officials need to put together a firing squad so that inmates can really choose between that or the electric chair.