MACHINATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA....

First a stay, now a go...

RALEIGH, N.C. - The North Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the execution of a double murderer to go forward, rejecting a defense argument that the state uses an illegal drug for lethal injections.

A judge delayed the execution of Henry Lee Hunt earlier this week, ruling that the court should have time to review the type of drugs used in executions.

Hunt's lawyers argued that state law requires the use of two types of drugs - a fast-acting barbiturate and a paralytic agent. Lawyer Steven Holley said the state illegally added potassium chloride, which stops the heart, to the mixture.

But the court denied the bid, and Hunt's execution is scheduled for early Friday. His appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court were later rejected.