Georgia Judge Upholds Death Row Execution Freeze Until COVID Vaccine Available for All Infants

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A Fulton County judge ruled that Attorney General Chris Carr's office must adhere to a 2021 agreement that prevents executions of certain death row inmates until COVID-19 vaccines are available to all individuals, including newborns. Judge Shukura Ingram emphasized that the state cannot alter the terms of the agreement simply because it now regrets the language used, and issued a permanent injunction to ensure compliance. The ruling stems from a previous attempt to execute Virgil Presnell, Georgia's longest-serving death row inmate, when the state pursued his death warrant without meeting the stipulated conditions.