A judge has ruled that Tennessee prison officials must grant expanded access to media members to view state-run executions. The ruling Friday comes after a coalition of news organizations sued on claims that state execution protocols unconstitutionally limit thorough and accurate reporting.
Judge orders release of Tennessee execution records
A court ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to release a cache of execution records, but it’s unclear whether the agency will have to comply.
Death penalty activists sit down in our studio — one for, one against
On days when someone is executed at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, community members are generally allowed to gather outside the prison in a large field. Separated by fences and distance are the “against” and “for” sides. The “againsts” are usually made up of a few dozen clergy and abolitionists, including one of our […]
Lisette Monroe lost her beloved sister to murder. She hopes an execution will bring some peace
Lisette Monroe was a 23-year-old new mother in 1988 when she lost her beloved little sister in the most horrific way possible. Karen Pulley was raped and murdered. The man who did it is scheduled to be executed.
Tennessee law protects lethal drug seller identities. A judge will decide how broad that secrecy is.
Tennessee is set to execute Harold Wayne Nichols. His attorneys want to confirm the state’s lethal injection drugs are safe.
Media coalition sues Tennessee prison officials to get more access to executions
A coalition of news organizations is suing Tennessee’s top prisons official and a warden, alleging that state execution protocols unconstitutionally limit the media’s access to the entire process when inmates are put to death.
Tennessee Supreme Court schedules four executions for 2026
The Tennessee Supreme Court has scheduled four more executions, even as questions linger about a lethal injection in August.
Autopsy sheds light on Byron Black’s painful execution
For the first time since Tennessee adopted a new lethal injection protocol, a post-execution autopsy has been released. It shows that Byron Black developed pulmonary edema — a form of lung damage.
WPLN discusses: Unanswered medical questions after execution of Byron Black
Byron Black’s legal team is still trying to figure out what caused the pain he displayed during his execution.
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