ACLU Sues for Right to See Executions

Journalists have the constitutional right to view state executions, the American Civil Liberties Union says. A lawsuit filed by the group, along with The Guardian and the Oklahoma Observer, argues that Oklahoma should be banned from denying reporters “unedited” access to the procedures. The case comes after the state’s botched execution of Clayton Lockett, during which executioners drew a screen between the chamber and the observation room. “The state of Oklahoma violated the First Amendment, which guarantees the right of the press to witness executions so the public can be informed about the government’s actions and hold it accountable,” the case lawyer says.