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PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday there’s a good reason she is ignoring the recommendation of her hand-picked expert who said it’s impossible to humanely kill inmates by lethal injection: She says he was not “up to the task” of studying how to properly conduct executions. Hobbs declined to say whether she personally believes it’s possible to humanely conduct an execution. “I’m not going to get into that,’’ she said. Hobbs recently dismissed retired federal magistrate David Duncan, whom she hired last year to study the system of putting people to death after what she called a series of “botched executions’’ in Arizona using lethal injection. “I’m grateful for the work he did,’’ she said. “But we decided to go in a different direction.’’ Gov. Katie Hobbs. That different direction is to resume putting inmates convicted of capital crimes to death by lethal injection — the only method currently authorized under the Arizona Constitution. Hobbs’ fellow Democrat, Attorney General Kris Mayes, had paused seeking execution warrants while Duncan was conducting the study Hobbs initiated. Hobbs said Duncan got into issues that went beyond her order to study the process. “Just one example of that was he started saying that we should execute people by firing squad,’’ the governor said. “And that is clearly unconstitutional, not the job he was hired to do.’’ Duncan, however, told Capitol Media Services he was hired to find out what went wrong with previous executions, and said that required him to determine whether the procedure is humane. He said his comments about using a firing squad were designed to say that if the state is going to have a death penalty — a decision that wasn’t his to make — a firing squad is more humane, quicker, and results in less pain. Hobbs said Monday that her decision to fire Duncan — and give her blessing to resuming executions — followed a review of the process by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry conducted under Ryan Thornell, whom she picked to run the department. Thornell came to Arizona from the Department of Corrections in Maine, which has no death penalty. “I am very confident in their review,” Hobbs said. “They have thoroughly gone through every procedure and process and updated them. And I’m confident in the process.’’ She noted that the death penalty, and lethal injection, are the law in Arizona. “And we’re going to follow the law,’’ she said. Hobbs said, though, she will not follow the lead of Mayes, who told Capitol Media Services she intends to be a witness at the next execution. Mayes “believes that given her role in requesting the warrant it is her obligation to attend,’’ said Richie Taylor, Mayes’ press aide. Hobbs pointed out that her decision to stay away is no different than those of her gubernatorial predecessors. “And I’m confident in the team that’s in place and the processes that will be in place,’’ she said. She does not expect a repeat of prior problems, saying there is a new team in place, not the one “where we had botched executions.’’ Method of execution aside, when asked whether she believes in capital punishment, Hobbs responded, “I’m not going to talk about that.” Strictly speaking, the governor plays no role in executions. It is solely up to the attorney general to ask the Arizona Supreme Court for the necessary warrant to execute someone once all appeals have been exhausted. Unlike in some states, the governor here cannot unilaterally pardon someone or commute a sentence without first getting a recommendation to do so from the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency. Mayes filed paperwork last week asking the Arizona Supreme Court to set a schedule to hear arguments about whether to issue a warrant to execute Aaron Gunches. He pleaded guilty to the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend’s ex-husband. Hobbs said Monday that case is one reason she and Mayes want to resume executions. “This is something that the victim’s family has been waiting for a long time,’’ the governor said. “And this is the law of the state of Arizona, and both of us have been elected to uphold that law.’’ Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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