Tennessee Judge’s Ruling on Execution Device Exposes State’s Hesitation and Legal Gamesmanship

In a case that lays bare Tennessee’s fumbling approach to capital punishment, a Davidson County judge recently allowed state officials to deactivate Byron Black’s implanted cardioverter-defibrillator at a hospital the morning before his scheduled execution. This sidesteps an earlier judicial order requiring the device to be turned off just minutes before lethal injection—a measure intended to prevent unnecessary suffering. Is Tennessee Sacrificing Justice for Convenience? The heart of the matter is more than medical logistics; it is about whether our justice system respects both the rule of law and human dignity. The state’s failure to secure a doctor willing to...