Old Sparky

Old Sparky is the nickname of Florida's electric chair. It is notorious for malfunctioning, namely in the cases of Jesse Tafero (executed May 4, 1990) and Pedro Medina (executed March 25, 1997). Reportedly flames shot out of the convicts' heads during the execution, raising the question whether use of the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment. The Florida Supreme Court determined that the electric chair was not unconstitutional in 1999, and it is still in use to this day. The sparking problems were due to improper practices of the prison staff, and not because of the electric chair itself. A major error by the staff was failure to properly moisten the sponge for the head electrode.

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Old Sparky is also the nickname for electric chairs in various other states. Texas, New York, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Georgia all used this name for their chairs. In Illinois the electric chair was a legal alternative if lethal injection was found Unconstitutional. This was before Governor George H. Ryan invoked a moratorium on the death penalty. The term "Old Sparky" is sometimes used for the electric chair in general, and not one of a specific state.

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Nickname: A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Tom is short for Thomas). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts....

Florida: Florida is a Southern state in the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery." It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. The U.S. Postal abbreviation is FL....

Electric chair: : The term electric chair is sometimes used in publications by organizations of people with disabilities to mean "electric-powered wheelchair"....

Old Sparky related Images and Photos (experimental)

Sparky	Old town	Old Sand	Old Mill
Old Dogs	Old King	Old Taxi	Old Shoe
Old Town	Old City	Old Dogs	Old Glory