TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 21, 2025

A Nashville judge has ordered prison officials to deactivate the defibrillator implanted in Byron Black’s heart moments before his execution on Aug. 5, the Nashville Banner reports. Black’s attorneys argued that unless the device is properly disabled before the lethal injection, it will repeatedly shock Black in an attempt to restore his heart’s normal rhythm, causing a prolonged and excruciating death. The order from Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins directs state officials to ensure necessary medical professionals and equipment are present at the execution to deactivate the device. It also summarizes the arguments Black’s attorneys made about the importance of timing. If deactivated too early, Black might die suddenly while a potential stay of execution is being processed. If deactivated too late, the execution could be painfully prolonged.