
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 22, 1990                   TAG: 9006220300
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA.                                LENGTH: Short

`BLACK WIDOW' WINS STAY OF EXECUTION

The "Black Widow" killer won a temporary stay of execution from a federal judge Thursday, just four hours before she was to go to the electric chair for poisoning her husband.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Fawsett blocked the scheduled 12:01 p.m. execution of Judi Buenoano at Florida State Prison to hear arguments on whether the state's electric chair can malfunction and cruelly torture a prisoner.

The defense contends it can, citing the state's botched execution May 4 of Jesse Tafero. Flames and smoke shot out from under Tafero's hood, and witnesses said he seemed to breathe and move after two of the three jolts he was given.

Buenoano's case went before a federal court for the first time after the state Supreme Court voted 4-3 Wednesday to reject the appeal on the grounds that Florida's chair is defective.

Following her 8:00 a.m. ruling, Fawsett spent the day listening to arguments, then adjourning the hearing until today. Buenoano's death warrant does not expire until Monday. - Associated Press

by CNB