US Edition
Tennessee judge gives state leeway on deactivating inmate’s heart-regulating device before execution
TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES, JUL 21 – A judge ruled that Tennessee must deactivate Byron Black's implanted heart device before execution to prevent painful shocks during lethal injection, amid ongoing legal disputes.
- A Tennessee judge has authorized the state to deactivate Byron Black's implantable cardioverter-defibrillator a day before his execution to reduce risks during the process, stating that keeping it active poses an 'unacceptable risk' of torture during lethal injection.
- Byron Black is scheduled for execution on August 5, and his attorney, Kelley Henry, opposes the early deactivation, arguing it could lead to premature death and violates his First Amendment rights by reducing protected time with his spiritual advisor.
- Lawyers for the state requested the change to deactivate Black's defibrillator at Nashville General Hospital, arguing compliance with the current order would cause delays.
- Chancellor Russell T. Perkins is set to decide on the injunction modification shortly and emphasized the need for a qualified medical provider to safely deactivate the device.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Associated Press News
Tennessee judge gives state leeway on deactivating inmate's heart-regulating device before execution
A Tennessee judge has ruled that the state can deactivate a death-row inmate’s implanted heart-regulating device at a hospital on the morning of his execution, rather than bringing a doctor or technician into the execution chamber.
Judge Alistair Newbern to resign from Tennessee court - Nashville Banner
SIGNED AND SETTLED: The Metro Nashville Public Schools board on Tuesday approved a $6.5 million legal settlement resolving five former administrators’ complaints of First Amendment retaliation by Superintendent Adrienne Battle. The school board approved the settlement, one of its costliest ever, without any public discussion. The former school system leaders stated that they were demoted or pushed out of their jobs after raising concerns about i…
TDOC pushback on execution court order amounts to 'passive aggression,' judge says
It appeared the intense debate was over when a judge ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to disable a death row inmate’s heart implant before his execution. But now, the department is arguing it can’t comply. The judge over the case, Davidson County Chancellor Russell T. Perkins, required TDOC to bring in trained medical experts and high-tech equipment to disable the device on the day of the execution. He issued the order Friday eveni…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
