A federal judge has rejected a challenge by Missouri prison inmates to the state's execution procedure.
The inmates' lawsuit argued that Missouri does not get valid medical prescriptions for the drugs used to put prisoners to death.
The lawsuit cited the state's use of non-medical personnel to administer the chemicals intravenously.
In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey said the inmates' lawsuit failed to show actual harm to anyone.
Missouri's execution process has been the subject of legal wrangling for several years.
- St. Louis Public Radio's Julie Bierach also did a feature story in March on Missouri's execution drug shortage
