The Tennessee Supreme Court has set new execution dates for four inmates after a nearly three-year pause
Tennessee has resumed setting execution dates for four inmates after a nearly three-year pause, following an update to its execution protocol. The Tennessee Supreme Court set new dates for Oscar Smith, Donald Middlebrooks, Byron Black, and Harold Nichols, who were previously scheduled for execution in 2022. An independent review revealed that drugs used in executions since 2018 were not fully tested, and the state admitted to inaccuracies in prior testimony regarding drug testing. The new protocol, implemented in December 2022, uses a single drug, pentobarbital. However, legal challenges and concerns about transparency in the new protocol have been raised, with calls to stay all executions. The state is also seeking execution dates for five additional inmates.
