Kelly Puente

2 weeks ago | tennessean.com | Kelly Puente

The Tennessee Supreme Court set execution dates for four people on death row in 2025. Oscar Franklin Smith's execution May 22 was the first in five years. A judge has temporarily called off one man's execution set for this year, unless his lawsuit concludes before his execution date. All four people whose execution dates were set already had execution dates before Gov. Bill Lee paused capital punishment in 2022. It was later found the state wasn't following its own lethal injection protocol.

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Kirsten Fiscus |Evan Mealins |Kelly Puente

The state of Tennessee has executed Oscar Franklin Smith, sentenced to death for the 1989 killings of his estranged wife Judith Robirds Smith and her two teenage sons, Chad Burnett and Jason Burnett, in Nashville. Smith, 75, was killed by a fatal dose of the drug pentobarbital injected into his veins at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. He was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. May 22. In a lengthy final statement, Smith spoke out against the governor and the justice system.

2 weeks ago | tennessean.com | Kelly Puente

The rural county about 80 miles east of Nashville is now the second law enforcement agency in Tennessee to have an ICE detention bed contract. The Putnam County contract comes as a growing number of state and local agencies are ramping up immigration enforcement with their own ICE partnerships. Putnam County is partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold immigration detainees in its newly expanded jail facilities, The Tennessean has learned.

2 weeks ago | tennessean.com | Kelly Puente |Angele Latham |Kerri Bartlett

Legal experts say the ICE sweeps in Nashville with Tennessee Highway Patrol raise legal concerns over racial profiling and pretextual traffic stops. Kelly Puente Angele Latham Kerri BartlettNashville TennesseanA joint operation between the Tennessee Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this month resulted in nearly 200 people detained. Legal experts say racial profiling in traffic stops is murky legal area.

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Evan Mealins |Kelly Puente

A four-year investigation and prosecution that swept up some of the biggest names in Tennessee politics ended May 16 as a federal jury found former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada guilty on 17 of 19 charges and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren guilty on all charges. Casada and Cothren face up to 20 years in prison at sentencing Sept. 12. Lawyers for both said they will appeal.