TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Apr 28, 2022

Federal public defenders are asking Gov. Bill Lee to issue a moratorium on all executions, one week after the governor delayed the execution of Oscar Franklin Smith due to “technical oversight” in the lethal injection process, the Tennessean reports. Kelley Henry, chief of the federal public defender's habeas unit, says she wants an immediate independent review of the problem. In a letter to Lee, Henry wrote a review would be “the right thing to do for the residents of this state who deserve to know that the most solemn act of government is approached with the utmost care and professionalism.” Lee issued a temporary reprieve roughly one hour before Smith was scheduled to be executed on April 21, with no explanation. He has said he will release more details Monday.