Attorneys for Jessie Hoffman claimed the method violated his religious freedoms
Louisiana executed Jessie Hoffman with nitrogen gas, the state's first such execution and first execution in 15 years. Hoffman's attorneys argued unsuccessfully that the method violated his religious freedom to practice meditative breathing, citing the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act. The state cited a lack of alternative execution methods and argued Hoffman's breathing would be similar to that of a firing squad execution.
