In a statement Washington Governor Jay Inslee said Tuesday “Equal justice under the law is the state’s primary responsibility. And in death penalty cases, I’m not convinced equal justice is being served.” He has suspended the use of the death penalty across the state. You can read Inslee’s Remarks on the Death Penalty here. Inslee, who … Continue reading
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Once one of the most active death penalty states in the U.S., Missouri carried out its first execution in nearly three years Wednesday after turning to a compounding pharmacy to make the drug it needs for lethal injections. The state’s success in court over its new execution method could lead to … Continue reading
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s governor delayed a condemned child killer’s execution on Wednesday to study the feasibility of accommodating the unusual request by a state death row inmate to donate his organs. Gov. John Kasich’s decision came less than 24 hours before Ronald Phillips was scheduled to die for the rape and death of his girlfriend’s … Continue reading
Maryland legislators voted Friday to repeal the death penalty making it the 18th state to reverse it’s stance. Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to sign the bill shortly. He will consider commuting the sentences of the five inmates currently on Maryland’s death row. Death penalty opponents say that the repeal in Maryland is a benchmark … Continue reading
Tyrone Noling, on death row for the 1990 murders Cora and Bearnhardt Hartig, has been denied a DNA test of a cigarette butt left at the scene of the crime. New scientific procedures may link the cigarette to some one else. This is not the only evidence to remain unheard in this case. This article … Continue reading
The last day of a death row inmate’s life adheres to a strict protocol beginning with transport to the execution facility and ending with their last words. Each state follows its own schedule but there are many similarities among them. To find out more about what happens on execution day see ‘The Anatomy of Execution’ below. Continue reading
Capital punishment in the United States stretches back to the formation of the country and was practiced by all 13 original colonies. Today, death sentences are still being passed in 33 states. To learn more about the history of capital punishment, visit the History page or click on the timeline below. Continue reading
Not all states apply the death penalty in the same way. Some states have retained the death penalty but have never carried out an execution. Others have a large death row population but rarely carry out executions. A few states perform executions on average of approximately one every month. In a few instances, states have actually … Continue reading
Today, Californians will vote to end the death penalty in the state. Proponents of Yes on the 34, have laid the issue on a financial foundation and they have found some unusual support from around the county. Fiscal conservatives are joining the death penalty debate saying that the high cost is becoming prohibitive in California … Continue reading
South Dakota executed 50-year-old Eric Robert Monday making him the first to be executed in the state in the last five years. He was the the first to die by the state’s single-drug lethal injection protocol. Roberts was serving an 80-year sentence for kidnapping when he murdered prison guard Ronald “RJ” Johnson. Johnson was beaten … Continue reading
Last Words 