Dale Baich told The Frontier that since the attorneys for death row inmates feel the revised death penalty protocol is incomplete, it's their belief that the 150-day stay that must expire prior to an execution being scheduled is still in place.

“The Court concludes that irreparable environmental harm is likely to result through the OWRB permitting the use of water without the agency undertaking any review of the potential adverse consequences of such use,” wrote Delaware County District Judge Barry Denney.

After more than a five-year hiatus following a series of high-profile mistakes, Oklahoma is set to return to lethal injection when executions resume, possibly as soon as late 2020.

AG Mike Hunter told about two dozen district attorneys on Thursday he is prepared to fight federal court challenges to the death penalty.

Oklahoma Public Employees Association representatives have been in talks with legislators and the governor’s office to hammer out a deal that would allow the state to move away from a mostly classified system of employment to a mostly unclassified employment system, he said.