Chief District Judge Shelly Dick's ruling came a week before Jessie Hoffman was set to be executed by nitrogen gas at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

A federal judge has halted Louisiana’s first death row execution using nitrogen gas , which was scheduled to take place next week. U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday,

The man poised to become the first Louisiana death row inmate executed in 15 years scored a significant win Tuesday as he challenges the state's plan to use nitrogen hypoxia to carry out his death sentence.

U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, stopping the state from immediately moving forward with the execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr.