Buzz
Contrary to popular belief and misconceptions about the double jeopardy clause, surviving an execution does not grant the condemned person freedom. Double jeopardy only applies to criminal trials, not to the enforcement of a death sentence once guilt has been established.
There is no escape if the initial execution attempt, whether by electric chair, gallows, or lethal injection, fails. Authorities simply try again. The terms of a death sentence are explicit and state that the condemned must undergo the execution method "until dead."
Despite the end of methods like firing squads and hangings, botched executions and retry attempts still happen. For instance, in 1984, Georgia executed Alpha Otis O'Daniel Stephens for a 10-year-old murder. The first attempt with the electric chair didn't kill him, and he remained alive and reportedly semi-conscious for six minutes before a second jolt was administered after doctors assessed him.
As you might expect, such situations can get rather gruesome. The Floss doesn’t deal in explicit details, but if you’re interested, the Death Penalty Information Center maintains a record of executions that have gone terribly wrong.
