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Judge Orders Idaho to Allow Media Access to Lethal Injection Process
Boise, Idaho – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Idaho prison officials must allow media witnesses to observe the entire lethal injection process, including the preparation and administration of the drugs. U.S.
District Judge Debora K. Grasham’s order comes as a result of a First Amendment lawsuit filed by several news organizations, including the Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman, and East Idaho News.
The lawsuit challenged the state’s current execution protocols, which allow media witnesses to view portions of the process but conceal the crucial steps of drug preparation and administration. Judge Grasham emphasized the public’s right to access this information, stating that the decision aimed to “safeguard the constitutional right belonging to the public under the First Amendment.” She clarified that the ruling was not a commentary on capital punishment itself, but rather an effort to ensure informed public discourse on the issue.
Historically, executions in the United States have been open to the public, with media witnesses now serving as public representatives. The judge noted that while the state argued for secrecy to protect the identities of the individuals involved in the drug preparation, there were less restrictive ways to achieve this, such as the use of protective gear. She also dismissed the state’s claim that these steps were merely “minute details,” highlighting their critical importance to the execution process.
Idaho has conducted four lethal injection executions since the 1970s, with one aborted last year due to difficulties establishing an IV line. The state recently passed legislation making firing squads the primary execution method starting in 2024. Firing squads are rare in modern executions in the U.S., with only a few instances in recent decades.