On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders. One aims to help states like Tennessee secure lethal injection drugs. But that will be an uphill battle.
Drug used in federal executions under Trump may cause ‘unnecessary pain and suffering,’ Garland says
The Justice Department is rescinding its protocol for federal executions that allowed for single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital.
Tennessee reverses course, releases redacted execution manual with vague details
Tennessee’s Department of Correction has released a redacted version of its newly completed execution manual after initially refusing to do so. The 44-page document blacks out sporadic titles and team names, and omits previously detailed steps on carrying out the death penalty in the Volunteer State.
Tennessee is refusing to release its new execution manual. Here is why it matters
Tennessee prison officials say they won’t publicly release the the state’s latest manual for executing death row inmates. In an email Monday, Tennessee correction official Kayla Hackney denied a public records request from The Associated Press.
NashVillager Podcast: The death penalty in Tennessee
What will a new protocol mean for capital punishment in our state? Plus the local news for October 16, 2024.
Tennessee corrections chief says new process for executing inmates will be completed by end of year
The announcement signals a pending end to the yearslong pause that was put in place after a blistering report revealed that the state had conducted several executions without proper testing of the drugs used.
Writing about the death penalty
The state of Tennessee has not executed a prisoner since 2020, in part, because of procedural complexities around COVID. Then, after the release of an unfavorable report by an independent investigation into its lethal injection protocols, a moratorium was announced in May 2022.
Here are 10 notable new laws taking effect July 1 in Tennessee
Starting July 1, more than 100 new laws take effect in Tennessee. Altogether, lawmakers passed more than 500 new laws, but some will be enacted throughout the year.
Death penalty for child rape convictions advances in Tennessee House
One Tennessee House Republican wants child rapists to face the death penalty. However, a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling bars states from doing so unless the crime involves a child’s death. Rep. William Lamberth wants it to be state law anyway.
A Tennessee law giving the AG more power over death penalty cases has been ruled unconstitutional
The ruling from Judge Paula Skahan in Memphis impacts courts across the state.
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