Public Defender Asks Governor For Moratorium On Executions

After Governor Bill Lee briefly halted the execution of a death row inmate last week, Attorneys with the Federal Public Defender’s Office are now asking the governor to place a moratorium on Tennessee executions and to appoint an independent commission to study the state’s execution protocol. Lee did not expound on why he halted the execution of 72 year old Oscar Smith, only saying there had been an “oversight in the preparation for lethal injection”. Federal Public Defender Kelley J. Henry, Chief, Capital Habeas Unit and Assistant Chief, Capital Habeas Unit Amy Harwell said in a letter to the governor that placing the moratorium on executions “would not only be courageous but would also 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.” The letter went on to say that “there can be no trust in the Department of Correction to carry out an execution without first conducting an independent investigation of the execution protocol.” Governor Lee is supposed to release more details on his decision on Monday.