TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 8, 2025

After Gov. Bill Lee announced last month that the state has new guidelines for executing death row inmates, top prison officials say they will not release the protocols manual to the public. According to the Associated Press, a public records request filed to obtain a copy of the manual has been denied by the Tennessee Department of Correction. In denying the request, the department said it must keep the document secret to protect the identities of the executioner and others involved. In an email Monday, a department spokesperson told AP that the “protocol is not a public record” and cited state law that protects the identities of those carrying out executions. AP argues that the cited statute anticipates the existence of confidential information and provides for redactions rather than denials of access.