From public hangings in the town square to lethal injections witnessed by journalists, executions historically have mostly been carried out with at least some public scrutiny.
Indiana was expected to again diverge from that tradition Wednesday, until state prison officials granted Joseph Corcoran 's request to include a reporter among those witnessing his early-morning execution.
“Media ensures government accountability and transparency in an otherwise closed and secretive process,” Maher said. “The decision to exclude media witnesses raises troubling questions about whether state officials lack the confidence or the ability to conduct the execution without botching it.” The Indiana Department of Correction announced Corcoran's death in a brief written statement that included little information except that the “execution process” started shortly after midnight and that Corcoran was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m.
Today the vast majority of the 27 states with capital punishment and the federal government recognize the need for public oversight via media witnesses. In the years since, lower federal courts have frequently extended the right to attend criminal trials to other proceedings, including executions.
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