AP and others challenge an Indiana law barring reporters from witnessing executions

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AP and others challenge an Indiana law barring reporters from witnessing executions

2025-05-10 05:50 Last Updated At：06:00

The Associated Press and four other media companies argue in a federal lawsuit that Indiana's ban on reporters attending state-sanctioned executions violates the public's constitutional right to an independent and unsanitized description of a sensitive and contentious government action.

The complaint, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, comes two weeks before the scheduled execution of Benjamin Ritchie, who was condemned for the September 2000 fatal shooting of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a foot chase.

It maintains that the law omitting news media from the state's list of permitted witnesses improperly prevents the taxpayers from receiving an unbiased review of the death penalty's implementation.

“I don't think it's about wanting to witness this act — I'm sure it's not a pleasant experience,” said Kristopher Cundiff of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which is representing the plaintiffs. “It's about having a representative standing in the shoes of the public to provide an account of what happened that comes from a neutral party.”

Named as defendants are Ron Neal, superintendent of Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, which houses the death chamber, and Lloyd Arnold, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction.

Department spokesperson Annie Goeller said she cannot comment on pending lawsuits.

Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bar media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted just one execution in the last half-century.

The AP aims to attend every execution in the U.S. to provide an accurate and unconstrained description for taxpayers. The news organization has repeatedly been on hand to report botched attempts.

In December, Joseph Corcoran became the first person put to death in Indiana in 15 years because of a nationwide scarcity of lethal-injection drugs. Ritchie is scheduled for the death chamber on May 20. Five more await execution in Indiana, according to the lawsuit.

The media groups contend that the Indiana law violates the First Amendment's guarantee that the public has "a qualified right of access to certain government proceedings.”

It also notes that the law, which allows attendance by as many as five friends or relatives chosen by the condemned and up to eight members of the victim's family, improperly treats them more favorably than the media.

A hearing has not been scheduled.

Joining the AP in pressing the lawsuit are Gannett Co., the nation's largest local newspaper operation with Indiana outlets in Indianapolis, Lafayette, Bloomington and South Bend; and TEGNA Inc., which operates WTHR-13 in Indianapolis.

The other plaintiffs are Circle Broadcasting, whose WISH-TV is a statewide network, and States Newsroom, which operates the nonprofit Indiana Capital Chronicle.

It was the Capital Chronicle that ensured media representation at the December execution, as Corcoran chose one of its reporters as a witness.

This story was first published on May 6, 2025. It was updated on May 9, 2025, to correct the name of the lead plaintiffs’ attorney. He is Kristopher Cundiff, not Kristopher Cundriff.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.