Tennessee’s Supreme Court says Byron Black’s execution can proceed amid worries that a medical device may prolong his death.A court in the United States has ruled that the southern US state of Tennessee can move forward with the execution of a man with an implanted defibrillator, despite concerns that the device could result in a botched execution.The case before the Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday concerned Byron Black, currently on death row after his conviction in a 1988 triple murder.Black’s execution has been delayed multiple times, but a date was set on August 5 for him to receive a lethal injection.However, in July, his defence team argued the execution could not proceed without first deactivating Black’s defibrillator, for fear it would continuously shock his heart as he passed away, resulting in an unnecessarily painful and prolonged death.Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins previously ruled that Black’s defibrillator would have to be removed prior to execution.But the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned that decision, arguing that removing the defibrillator in advance would amount to a “stay of execution”.The state justices added that the lower court’s order was invalid because it had exceeded its authority. A guard stands watch during a media tour of California’s death row at San Quentin State Prison in California on December 29, 2015 [File: Stephen Lam/Reuters]Kelley Henry, one of Black’s attorneys, said that she is looking at the opinion before making a decision about next steps.Lawyers for the state said on Wednesday that healthcare workers, many of whom view participation in the execution process as a vio …
