After clearing legal hurdles and successfully carrying out its first execution in over a decade, could this lead to more frequent executions in the state of Louisiana?
Louisiana currently has 56 inmates on death row, and Hoffman's execution marked the first in fifteen years.
Loyola Law Professor, Dane Ciolino says it's easy to assume that executions will become more common.
"Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill will move forward with more executions as they both ran on that platform," says Ciolino.
Ciolino says that Hoffman seemed not to suffer cruelly, according to witnesses, after being given nitrogen gas, making it more likely for the state to move forward with future executions.
"With one successful execution by nitrogen hypoxia, I would expect more."
Ciolino says Hoffman's case making past state and federal legal hurdles is important.
"Defense councils will seek to block further cases where clients are to be executed by nitrogen gas, but I don't think they will fare any better."
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