Arkansas inmates who had been set for execution this month want a federal appeals court to take up their claim that the compressed timetable would violate "evolving standards of decency."
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted the inmates stays of execution on Saturday, but she rejected their arguments that there was too little time between executions.
Arkansas originally planned to execute eight inmates between Monday and April 27 and is appealing the ruling.
The inmates filed paperwork Sunday asking the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider their claims that Baker rejected.
The attorney general's office says it will respond to the filing after full arguments are put before the appeals court.
