Death row inmate Byron Black's heart pacemaker to be turned off

 

 

 

PP Cherian Dallas

Nashville, Tennessee (AP) - Judge Russell Perkins has ordered Tennessee authorities to disable the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in his body during the lethal injection of poison. The ruling comes after lawyers argued that the device could cause shock and severe pain when it was used in the execution, which is scheduled for August 5.

The order requires the device to be deactivated immediately before the lethal injection and requires the assistance of medical professionals. The judge said the order will not delay the execution and will not impose an additional burden on the state.

However, it is unclear how quickly a medical professional can be found to deactivate the device. The state is likely to appeal the ruling. Black was sentenced to death in 1988 for the murder of his girlfriend and their two daughters.