A federal judge has intervened to postpone the execution of an Idaho inmate whose initial lethal injection attempt was unsuccessful earlier this year. Thomas Eugene Creech, slated to be executed on November 13, faced a problematic first execution attempt in February when the execution team struggled to locate a suitable vein after trying eight different sites in his arms and legs.

U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow issued the temporary stay this week, permitting the court time to evaluate Creech’s allegations that prosecutorial misconduct occurred during his clemency hearing. Additionally, Creech’s legal representatives are pursuing multiple other legal avenues aimed at preventing his execution.

While the Idaho Department of Correction has refrained from commenting on the execution delay due to the ongoing litigation, they indicated that both parties will need until the end of the month to submit formal written arguments to the court. “In line with IDOC policy, Mr. Creech has been returned to his prior housing assignment in J-Block, and all execution preparations are now on hold,” stated Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic, spokesperson for the department.

Creech, who is currently 74 years old, holds the distinction of being Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmate. He has spent 50 years in prison, with a criminal history that includes convictions for five murders across three states, along with suspicions of additional homicides. He was already serving a life sentence when he killed his fellow inmate, 22-year-old David Dale Jensen, in 1981—a murder for which he was facing execution.

Over the years, Creech has reportedly maintained a relatively good behavior record behind bars, even becoming known for his poetry. His efforts to secure clemency in light of the recent execution attempt garnered support from a former state warden, prison staff who appreciated his poems of encouragement, and the judge who originally sentenced him.

After the failed execution attempt, the Idaho Department of Correction announced it would adopt new protocols for lethal injections, especially in cases where placing a peripheral IV line fails. Under the new guidelines, execution teams will be allowed to utilize a central venous catheter, which is a more complex and invasive method that accesses larger veins in the neck, groin, chest, or upper arm to establish a connection deep within the body, ultimately reaching the heart.