A Florida death row inmate, Michael Tanzi, is requesting a delay in his scheduled execution, claiming that his morbid obesity and severe health problems could lead to extreme suffering during the lethal injection process.
Tanzi, who is 48 years old, is set to be executed on April 8th, but his lawyers filed an appeal this week asking the court for leniency due to his medical condition.
What Tanzi’s Lawyers Are Saying
According to the appeal filed by his attorneys on Monday, Tanzi suffers from:
- Morbid obesity
- Severe chronic sciatica
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
His legal team argues that carrying out the execution under Florida’s current lethal injection protocol would violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bans cruel and unusual punishment.
The filing says that standard execution procedures do not consider people with complex health conditions like Tanzi’s, and that carrying out the lethal injection as planned could result in unnecessary suffering or serious medical complications.
They’ve asked the court to postpone the execution and send the case back to a lower court for an evidentiary hearing to properly assess the risks.
Florida Attorney General Responds
On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier responded by rejecting Tanzi’s appeal. His office stated that:
- The claims were unfounded and could have been raised earlier.
- The lethal injection protocol has been in use since 2017, and Tanzi’s objections to it are too late and without merit.
- The Governor’s powers and the execution procedure do not violate the Constitution, according to legal precedent.
The attorney general’s office urged the court to move forward as scheduled with the execution.
Tanzi’s Legal Team Pushes Back Again
By Friday, Tanzi’s attorneys had filed another response, insisting that their client’s health concerns deserved serious attention and that the denial from the attorney general’s office should be reversed.
They continue to argue that proceeding with the execution under current protocols risks unnecessary pain and could amount to cruel punishment, especially given Tanzi’s health conditions.
Background of the Case
Michael Tanzi was convicted in the 2000 kidnapping and murder of Janet Acosta in Florida.
As per court documents:
- Tanzi approached Acosta while she was sitting in her car.
- He asked her for the time and a cigarette, then attacked her.
- He carjacked her vehicle, took her hostage, and threatened her with a razor blade.
- He later sexually assaulted and strangled her to death.
Tanzi was found guilty of carjacking, sexual assault, and murder, and was sentenced to death.
His execution is one of the several scheduled in Florida as the state continues to enforce its capital punishment policy.
Michael Tanzi’s case is once again raising questions about the ethical and medical challenges of executing prisoners with severe health conditions. While Florida state officials argue the procedures are fair and constitutional, Tanzi’s defense insists his execution in its current form could lead to avoidable suffering.
The court is now expected to decide soon whether Tanzi’s April 8th execution date will be delayed or proceed as planned.