A federal judge visited Louisiana's death row as he weighs a lawsuit that challenges the heat conditions as unsafe for three condemned inmates with health conditions.
U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson traveled to the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola on Monday to check out the cell blocks for himself.
Mercedes Montagnes, a lawyer for the inmates, says attorneys for both sides were present for Jackson's visit. She says the judge toured four death row tiers and went inside some cells.
Windows and fans are the primary sources of ventilation on death row.
The civil rights lawsuit was filed on behalf of three inmates who have hypertension and other health ailments that their lawyers say could be worsened by heat. Prison officials say the current conditions are safe for the inmates.