Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment is a profoundly complex and controversial aspect of the criminal justice system. This section provides articles that explore the history, legal frameworks, and ethical debates surrounding Capital Punishment in various jurisdictions. Correctional professionals can gain insights into the procedures, implications, and ongoing discussions about using the death penalty. Understanding Capital Punishment is crucial for those involved in its administration and those engaged in broader criminal justice reform efforts. For further context, explore related topics on supermax prisons.
Thomas Creech was issued a stay of execution about a half hour after Idaho DOC officials called off his lethal injection when they couldn’t locate a vein for an IV
Thomas Creech, 73, has been in prison for half a century; he was already serving a life term when he beat a fellow inmate to death in 1981 — the crime for which he was to be executed
Ivan Cantu received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. at the Huntsville State Penitentiary for the 2000 fatal shooting of his cousin and his cousin’s girlfriend
If Gov. Rick Scott believes Aramis Ayala is neglecting her duties by not seeking the death penalty, he could try to suspend her from office
Since SCOTUS reauthorized the use of the death penalty in 1976, only Texas has killed eight inmates in a month, doing it twice in 1997
State lawyers are telling a federal court that delaying eight executions beyond April 30 would have the same effect as canceling them altogether
The court will weigh Carlos Ayestas’ claim that federal courts improperly forced him to prove a “substantial need” for the mitigation expert
The prison system says its suppliers need anonymity to take part in execution
Prison officials have refused to release packing slips that detail how the drugs are to be used
The decision means the board has now rejected three of the five inmates who asked the board to spare their lives
Last month, a prison guard was killed during an inmate riot and hostage taking at Delaware’s maximum security prison
The state’s highest court said that using the drug pentobarbital to execute condemned prisoners is constitutional
The inmates asked SCOTUS to reconsider its decision to not review a state court ruling upholding the lethal injection law
Kharon Davis has been held without bail in the Houston County Jail since his arrest in 2007
Aramis Ayala argued that the governor doesn’t have the authority to remove her from Markeith Loyd’s case
The Supreme Court sided with inmate Bobby James Moore who claims he should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled
The state’s current stock of midazolam expires at the end of April
The lower court said the case was resolved because prison officials had eased restrictions and granted death row inmates more privileges
The lawyer said the inmates had too little time to put together a meaningful clemency request after their death warrants were signed less than four weeks ago
Attorneys said that Romell Broom has important appeals pending and the state shouldn’t hurry to set a new date
In an affidavit, Jonas Cherry’s parents said Paul Storey’s execution won’t bring back their son or atone for his loss
Arkansas has not put a prisoner to death since 2005
Gov. Rick Scott removed Aramis Ayala from a case after Ayala made her announcement against the death penalty
Alabama is the only state that allows a judge to override a jury’s sentence recommendation in capital murder cases
Tommy Arthur’s lawyers said the state has refused to turn over records related to the state’s last two executions
Alabama cannot execute a 66-year-old inmate with stroke-induced dementia because he doesn’t understand his death sentence or remember the killing, an appellate court ruled
James Bigby looked directly at six relatives of his victims watching through a window a few feet from him and repeatedly said he was sorry
Under the new bill, Florida will now require a unanimous jury recommendation before the death penalty can be imposed
James Bigby would be the fourth Texas inmate executed this year and the sixth nationally
Gov. Asa Hutchinson scheduled four sets of double executions to occur before another drug, midazolam, expires at the end of April
Raymond Tibbetts told the parole board that he doesn’t deserve clemency and believes he had a fair trial
A bill would require a unanimous jury recommendation before the death penalty can be imposed
Patrick Leonard was sentenced to death for the 2000 killing of his ex-girlfriend