Governor Phil Bredesen extended the temporary reprieve in the execution of Philip Workman today. The decision to grant this extension was made after consultation with Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers.
The reprieve, originally set to expire on January 15, has been extended for three months as the federal criminal investigation that may be related to the case continues. The Governor issued the following statement in conjunction with his decision:
“After conferring with the Attorney General, I have decided to extend Mr. Workman's reprieve until the federal investigation is completed and its relevance to the case is determined. As a result, I'm extending the temporary reprieve until April 15.
I believe the death penalty should be carried out judiciously. As long as there continue to be outstanding questions related to this case, the proper thing to do is to wait until those questions have been answered.”
The extension to the reprieve signed by Bredesen today postpones plans for Workman's execution until April 15. At that time, depending on the outcome of the investigation and analysis of its impact on this case, the Attorney General could seek a new execution date from the State Supreme Court. Workman's execution was originally scheduled to occur on September 24, 2003.