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 State Supreme Court determined that the electric chair was not unconstitutional in 1999, and it is still in use to this day. The 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.
Old Sparky is also the nickname for electric chairs in various other states. Texas, New York, Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia all used this name for their chairs. The term "Old Sparky" is sometimes used for the electric chair in general, and not one of a specific state.
