TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Dec 27, 2024

The Tennessee Department of Correction has created a new lethal injection protocol, clearing the way for the state to schedule executions again, Knox News reports. Gov. Bill Lee called off all executions indefinitely in 2022 and ordered an independent investigation into the state's lethal injection procedures. The investigation found that the state had failed to follow the protocol it implemented in 2018. Under the new protocol, the state will administer a single drug, pentobarbital, replacing the three-drug cocktail previously used, the paper reports. "The death penalty is an extremely serious matter, and that is why I instructed the Tennessee Department of Correction to review the lethal injection protocol to leave no question that procedures are correctly followed," Lee said. Federal Public Defender Kelley Henry responded to the announcement noting the lack of detail and said she is "awaiting the release of the United States Department of Justice’s review of the use of single drug pentobarbital in executions," which Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered in 2021. The revised protocol was made in consultation with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. The Tennessee Supreme Court will be responsible for scheduling execution dates.