Federal Judge halts all state executions until IDOC expands media access
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — A federal judge in Idaho has issued a temporary hold on all executions in the state. This week, the judge granted a preliminary injunction that prohibits the execution of convicted individuals until the state Department of Corrections increases access for witnesses to the so-called "Medical Team Room."
Under the Idaho Department of Corrections' current lethal injection execution procedure, witnesses are only allowed to view the Execution Preparation Room and the Execution Chamber throughout the process.
Meanwhile, the medical team members administering the lethal injection remain in the Medical Team Room during the execution.
The order was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by three news media organizations: the Idaho Statesman, East Idaho News, and the Associated Press. The groups are attempting to expand audio and visual access to the Medical Team Room, which is an area of the corrections facility where medical personnel prepare for a lethal injection.
According to court documents, the news groups are arguing that "access to the Medical Team Room is part of the 'initial procedures that are inextricably intertwined with the process of putting the condemned inmate to death.'" They argue that viewing the entirety of an execution plays a significant positive role in the public’s understanding of modern execution procedures.
The IDOC contends that limiting witnesses' access to the Medical Team Room ensures the safety and confidentiality of the medical team.
In a 34-page decision, U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora Grasham of the District of Idaho ordered the Idaho Department of Corrections to upgrade the execution wing of the maximum-security prison, allowing members of the media to view the medical team's preparations for the capital punishment in addition to the execution itself.
"It is clear that the performance of capital punishment in the United States has historically been open to the public. The Court finds that the means and methods of an execution were also open and obvious, allowing the public to witness not only the execution itself, but the cause and effect of the execution method used," said Grasham in the 34-page decision.
"The Court here does not make a policy judgment regarding if, when, and how the death penalty should be imposed. Rather, it attempts to safeguard the constitutional right belonging to the public under the First Amendment of access to executions conducted by the State, so that such policy decisions can be well-informed."
