The Tennessee Attorney General’s office has released an opinion on the state’s execution policy.
Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper’s office says it's constitutional for the state to electrocute inmates if the drugs needed for lethal injection are unavailable or if the practice itself is found to be unconstitutional.
Executions have been on hold in Tennessee since 2009, partly due to the unavailability of one lethal injection drug and partly because of other legal challenges.
The state found a substitute drug late last year and will move ahead with 11 executions, starting next month.
Tennessee currently lets those sentenced to death choose between electrocution or lethal injection if their capital offense occurred after December 31st, 1998.
