There are several unknowns about Byron Black’s scheduled execution — including about his developmental disability and the ongoing legal fight about his heart defibrillator implant.
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.
Court order: Tennessee prisoner’s heart implant must be deprogrammed before his execution
A judge sided with Byron Black, the man scheduled for Tennessee’s next execution, and ordered the state to disable his heart implant before he undergoes a lethal injection.
A heart implant could make Tennessee’s next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don’t have to disable the device.
Tennessee’s next execution is scheduled for Aug. 5, and this time, there are even stronger fears about the death becoming torturous.
Smoking-focused addiction help would save lives, but it’s not easy to access in Tennessee
Appalachian states have had some of the highest overdose rates in the country over the past decade. But officials have been slow to adopt some harm reduction efforts that could save lives.
Attorneys want to delay Tennessee’s next execution, citing mental competency concerns
Tennessee is scheduled to execute Byron Black in August. His attorneys argue his death should be delayed and his sentence reconsidered, citing his intellectual disability, progressive dementia and brain damage.
Safety net advocates want Tennessee’s senators to vote no on the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Local organizations are asking Tennessee’s U.S. Senators to vote against a proposal that would bring sweeping cuts to safety net programs.
Federal cuts could mean even more trouble for Tennesseans using SNAP benefits
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — which helps more than one in 10 Tennesseans get groceries — is already in legal trouble in the state for delayed benefits and other mismanagement concerns. It could soon be undergoing massive cuts.
Tennessee scheduled to execute at least two more death row inmates this year
Tennessee has resumed executions after years of COVID-19 delays and administrative pauses, and three more are scheduled this year.
Tennessee executes Oscar Smith, ending pause on lethal injections
The state of Tennessee executed Oscar Franklin Smith Thursday morning. It was the first lethal injection since 2019, and comes on the heels of a third-party investigation into the state’s protocol that found failures in testing the drugs used during executions.
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