California refuses to return execution drug to FDA

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/25/BA7N1ONQ81.DTL&type=newsbayarea

California prison officials are defying a U.S. Food and Drug Administration order to return supplies of a foreign-made drug used in executions, saying they disagree with a federal judge's ruling that the drug was imported illegally without an FDA safety review.

The FDA, which also disagreed with the judge and argued that no such review is required, said Friday that it will appeal the ruling.

The dispute adds further uncertainty to the resumption of executions in California, blocked since 2006 by an order by another federal judge who found numerous flaws in the state's procedures for lethal injections.