Judge Orders Deactivation of Inmate's Heart Device Before Execution | JQJO

A Tennessee judge ordered state officials to deactivate death row inmate Byron Black's implanted heart defibrillator before his August 5th execution. Black's lawyers argued the device could interfere with the lethal injection, causing pain and suffering. The judge's order requires medical professionals to deactivate the device shortly before the execution, a move the state is likely to appeal. Black, convicted of three murders in 1988, has faced multiple execution delays due to legal challenges and pandemic-related pauses. His attorneys also seek clemency citing his intellectual disability and deteriorating health.