A court battle is gearing up over whether Louisiana’s nitrogen gas execution protocol is a public record as the federal courts weigh a case that could determine whether the state

Attorneys argued that nitrogen gas executions are "cruel and unusual punishment," noting that veterinarians have banned them for euthanizing animals.

BATON ROUGE, LA – After a 15-year hiatus, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has announced his administration’s intent to resume executions using a newly-approved nitrogen gas protocol, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPI).

The State of Louisiana plans to execute the first death row inmate in more than a decade and the first by nitrogen gas, but the inmate’s attorneys are trying to stop it.

Jessie Hoffman, a death row inmate, is scheduled to be Louisiana's first execution since 2010 and will be put to death by nitrogen gas, despite a lawsuit filed to stay his execution.