TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 30, 2026

Tennessee's lethal injection protocol, adopted in January 2025, eliminated a previous requirement that execution team members practice inserting IV lines during monthly mock executions, the Nashville Banner reports. This change now has drawn renewed scrutiny following the halted execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers, whose execution was called off in May after prison staff spent more than an hour unsuccessfully attempting to establish a secondary IV line. Court filings in an ongoing challenge to the state's execution protocol contend the revised training requirements are inadequate, with expert witnesses questioning whether execution team members receive sufficient instruction and oversight in IV placement. The Tennessee Department of Correction declined to comment on the protocol changes or the qualifications of execution team members.