Judge Orders Tennessee to Preserve Evidence in Pike Case

A Tennessee judge ordered state officials to preserve records and physical evidence from the Sept. 30 failed execution of Christa Pike, as her lawyers seek information about the procedure and continued access to their client. Chancellor IAshea Myles issued the order in Davidson County Chancery Court, directing the Tennessee Department of Correction to safeguard materials connected to the attempt. The order covers a broad range of evidence, including logs, medical waste, photographs, communications among state officials, restraints and equipment from the execution chamber, and available audio or video recordings. The materials could help establish what occurred during the attempt and may be relevant to any future legal challenge, Pike’s attorneys argued. Assistant Attorney General John Ayers told the court that the state was already preserving evidence under existing federal court orders and that a separate order was unnecessary. He described items logged in a state preservation room, including observation logs, electrocardiogram readouts and photographs.