SUMMARY: Fifteen executions have been carried out in the U.S. in 2025, with 12 more scheduled across eight states, including Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. Executions this year include Jeffrey Hutchinson in Florida, with Glen Rogers set for lethal injection in Florida on May 18. Other states with scheduled executions are Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, and Oklahoma. Notable upcoming executions include Gregory Hunt in Alabama on June 10 and John Fitzgerald Hanson in Oklahoma on June 12. Ohio’s Governor has delayed executions, including those of Timothy Coleman and Kareem Jackson, pushing them to 2028 .

Read the full article

The post A look at the status of US executions in 2025 appeared first on wpln.org

SUMMARY: Tennessee plans its first execution since 2020 using a new drug, pentobarbital, which has sparked significant concerns. After halting executions due to COVID-19 and issues with the previous death penalty protocol, the state spent nearly three years developing a new protocol. Opponents argue pentobarbital poses severe risks, including painful pulmonary edema and cruel deaths, leading several death row inmates to sue. The federal government abandoned the drug last January over similar concerns. Additionally, critics worry the protocol’s secrecy limits public accountability. The first scheduled execution involves inmate Oscar Smith, who can choose between lethal injection or the electric chair.

Tennessee hasn’t executed an inmate on death row since early 2020, but now the new drug meant to restart the death penalty is raising new red flags among critics.

Source

SUMMARY: Tennessee has not executed an inmate since 2020, but the state’s new lethal injection protocol, which includes the controversial drug pentobarbital, is raising concerns. Governor Bill Lee paused executions in 2022 due to issues with the previous protocol. Critics argue that the new drug could cause “unnecessary pain and suffering,” citing potential risks like pulmonary edema. Several inmates are suing over the new protocol, claiming it violates the 8th Amendment. The protocol is also criticized for its secrecy. Oscar Smith is set to be the first executed under the new protocol on May 22, 2025.

Read the full article

The post Tennessee's new death penalty drug sparks concerns ahead of first scheduled execution in years appeared first on www.wkrn.com