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Tennessee court considers if executioners can be named

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee appeals court is considering whether 10 death row inmates have the right to know about the drugs that will be used in their executions and whether their lawyers can get the names of the people who will kill them.

The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/1lPRSe6 ) reports that the state Court of Appeals heard oral arguments this week in the lawsuit brought by the inmates. They sued after the legislature passed a law that keeps details about lethal injection secret.

Lawyers for the state argued that a Nashville judge overstepped her authority when she ordered officials to turn over the names of the execution team to the attorneys for the condemned prisoners. The lower court ruled the names must be released but said neither the public nor the inmates could have them.