The Ohio Supreme Court put an execution date on hold for a transgender inmate—a twice-convicted killer with disputed diagnoses of gender dysphoria and other mental issues.
Now legally named Victoria Drain, the condemned prisoner formerly known as Joel Drain was granted a stay of execution on Jan. 5.
In its decision, the state’s highest court declared: “The stay shall remain in effect until exhaustion of all state post-conviction proceedings, including any appeals.”
One such legal challenge is pending in Warren County, Ohio.
The Ohio Supreme Court, in Columbus, Ohio. (Courtesy of OhioState.gov)
Drain, 41, had been scheduled to die by lethal injection on Nov. 24, 2026….