A group of news outlets has sued Tennessee prison officials, claiming the state’s execution rules block journalists from fully witnessing lethal injections and conceal key moments from public scrutiny. 

Under current procedures, reporters are only allowed to observe once the condemned inmate is already strapped to the gurney. 

In their filing, the outlets argue the state’s protocol violates “the public and press’s statutory and constitutional rights to witness the entirety of executions,” saying Tennesseans deserve transparency from the moment an inmate enters the chamber until the official pronouncement of death. 

The plaintiffs are seeking a judgment declaring the protocols unconstitutional and an injunction allowing reporters to see the full execution process. 

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The filing claims that the blackout “limits the public’s ability to receive information from independent observers” – effectively leaving executions shielded from outside scrutiny. 

The defendants are Kenneth Nelsen, warden of Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville – which houses Tennessee’s execution chamber – and Frank Strada, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Reporters are kept behind blinds until the inmate is restrained and connected to IV lines. The exact timing of when lethal drugs are administered remains unknown, as the medical team operates from a separate room. 

Once the inmate is pronounced dead, the warden announces on the intercom system that the sentence was carried out, and witnesses are instructed to leave.

The lawsuit argues that the First Amendment of both the U.S. Constitution and Tennessee Constitution guarantee the public’s right to see capital punishment carried out in full view – not behind partial secrecy. Tennessee law requires that certain witnesses – including seven members of the media – be present. 

The plaintiffs cited the August execution of Byron Black, convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two young daughters in the 1980s. During Black’s execution, curtains in the witness room were only open for 10 minutes.

According to Black’s attorney, medical personnel had trouble finding veins in his arms, resulting in visible blood pooling on his right side. His attorney said it took 10 minutes just to attach the IV tubes. 

Black reportedly told witnesses he was “hurting so bad” during his lethal injection.

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“Make no mistake, we all saw with our own eyes that the pentobarbital did not work like the State’s expert testified that it would,” attorney Kelley Henry said in a statement at the time. “Mr. Black suffered.”

The lawsuit cites the state’s internal execution log and says media witnesses only saw fragments of the procedure – when blinds opened, when Black gave his final words, and when the view was cut off again. 

The closed-circuit camera, the filing notes, is reserved for the execution team, not the press. 

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As a result, the lawsuit contends, reporters “had no access to that stage of the proceeding to independently report on it, leaving the public with no firsthand account from a neutral observer.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The 18-year-old daughter of a former Kentucky sheriff charged with gunning down a small-town judge is lashing out at internet sleuths for spreading “gossip” about her father.

Lila Stines, daughter of ex–Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, took to TikTok last week to slam the online rumor mill that’s been churning since her dad was arrested for the 2024 courthouse killing of District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54.

“On September 19th, a little over a year ago, a lot of people’s lives changed forever, including mine. I’m not going to go into detail, I will not be talking about it, but I just have one question. Do you all not have anything better to do than to sit and gossip?” Stines railed in the now-viral video.

Stines, 44, was allegedly caught on security video storming into Mullins’ chambers before shooting him in an alleged courthouse ambush that rattled the Appalachian community. Stines has been charged with murder and remains in custody awaiting trial.

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Lila didn’t mention the case directly, but she had plenty to say to the “gossips” discussing the case.

“You are taking my pain and making it your pleasure,” she continued. “You’re taking our stories and turning them into big entertainment pieces, jokes.”

She then told spectators to “get a job” and “do something meaningful,” accusing true-crime creators and TikTok commentators of cashing in on her family’s “tragedy.”

“And for that matter, you’re making it, your income. Since when did that become OK? So my advice to the people doing that, get a job. Do something meaningful with your life, and contribute to society in a positive way.”

The clip struck a nerve among viewers, with some calling her “brave” and others dismissing it as an attempt to deflect attention from her father’s alleged crime.

WATCH: Video shows phone exchange between sheriff and judge moments before fatal shooting

The shooting was caught on camera in the judge’s chambers and was first shown in Stines’ preliminary hearing in October 2024.

The video, with no audio, showed a man identified by police as Stines pulling out a gun and shooting the judge as he sat at his desk. The man walked around the desk, pointed the gun at the judge — who had fallen to the floor — and fired again.

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Mullins died from multiple gunshot wounds, Kentucky State Police said.

Stines has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.

This story is part of Fox News Digital’s investigative series Campus Radicals. Get the full series here.

The Louisiana GOP is offering help to the students at Loyola University New Orleans who founded a Turning Point USA chapter on campus, only to have the student government bar the chapter from becoming an official organization.

“For the students, certainly, we encourage them to go through the process the way that it’s written out,” Louisiana GOP Chairman Derek Babcock told Fox News Digital. “I think that’s the right way to initially do this … and we’ll support them in every way we can through that process.”

On Oct. 15, the campus Student Government Association (SGA) denied the group the ability to charter — become an official campus organization — during a student senate meeting. The denial means that the organization will not receive funds from the university and will not be able to reserve campus space for any activities.

Babcock said the group is preparing to appeal the decision through the proper SGA channel.

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“If they’re denied again, I believe that is an injustice that needs to be rectified, and we’re going to be there to help them in any and every way necessary to right the injustice,” he said.

The SGA reportedly denied the charter after students raised concerns that Turning Point does not share the same values as the Jesuit Catholic school.

“Loyola University New Orleans, and our whole Jesuit Community, have prided themselves on the core values of Saint Ignatius, and the Society of Jesus at large. As it stands, Turning Point USA, its leaders, and many of the individuals whom they support are in direct opposition of these values,” one student reportedly said.

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The student attributed quotes to Turning Point’s founder, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, about “queer people are trying to corrupt your children” and “transgenderism and gender fluidity are lies that hurt people and abuse kids,” as evidence for that claim. However, official Catholic Church doctrine does not support gay marriage or transgenderism.

Another student, who identified herself as Hispanic, claimed Kirk held bigoted views towards Hispanics.

“You know, as far as the student government, I certainly would encourage them to take a better look at this and think twice about the initial decision they made,” Babcock said, noting that other right-leaning groups like the Federalist Society exist on campus along with other faith-based organizations.

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“There is no justifiable reason for denying Turning Point to have a chapter at that university,” he said. “That’s an argument we’ll make in every arena that it needs to be made. And if that’s what has to happen, we’ll be there with those students to help support them through that process.”

Babcock also called for the school to look into the matter, and possibly override the SGA’s decision, though he said he respects the school’s commitment to allowing students to govern themselves.

“Well, I think that they need to be paying attention to this, and they need to take it seriously, because if they don’t have a mechanism in place today… they need to get one quickly, because it may become necessary,” he said.

Babcock pointed to the support for Turning Point USA from Gov. Jeff Landry, who on Monday night spoke at a Turning Point event at Louisiana State University and called for the school to erect a statue of Kirk.

“I know they’re a private university, but they’re in the state of Louisiana, and here’s our Louisiana governor, not just supporting but actually speaking at and advocating for Turning Point events and memorials,” he said. “So, you know, that university administration needs to think very carefully about what’s happening here.”

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When asked about the appeals process, Loyola spokesperson, Aariel Charbonnet, pointed Fox News Digital to a document containing the SGA bylaws, which says, “The Court of Review shall handle all appeals rendered to it by the constituents of Loyola University of New Orleans Student Government association.”

The document explains that every Justice on the Court of Review has a vote on all the matters before the court. 

The court can invite people to speak before it, but it is unclear whether Turning Point members will have that opportunity during the appeals process. 

“The court can have ‘guest speakers’ that they can invite to the meeting and ask questions,” Charbonnet said. “But it is not required. In other words, they can attend If they are invited by the court as a special guest.”

Charbonnet said there is no process by which the university administration could override an SGA decision, except under certain conditions involving legality or conflicts with rules and regulations of the school. 

“Any part of this Constitution or any resolution passed under its authorization that is in conflict with the laws of the United States of America, the State of Louisiana, or with any rules or regulations of Loyola University New Orleans, shall be null and void from the time of its enactment,” the school’s constitution says. 

“The Student Government Association will support through its actions and programs the goals, purposes, and values of Loyola University New Orleans … and will abide by all university policies and procedures.”