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.
Jeffrey Hutchinson killed his girlfriend and her three children with a 12-gauge shotgun and was convicted in 2001
The judge ruled that lethal injections can’t proceed unless IDOC officials allow full press access to lethal injection drug preparation and administration
James Osgood was convicted of killing Tracy Lynn Brown and declined to appeal his sentence, saying he deserved to die
Louisiana’s special session also included bills that included restricting parole eligibility, harsher penalties for some crimes and publicizing some juvenile court records
The jury voted 11-1 in favor of the death penalty after convicting the 24-year-old man in the death of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder
South Carolina’s current execution law requires inmates to be sent to the electric chair unless they choose a different method
“This pace also protects our team’s mental health and allows time for them to process and recover between the scheduled executions,” the Oklahoma DOC executive director said
Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma have OK’d nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, although Oklahoma’s law allows it only if lethal injection is no longer available
“We do not believe Mr. Creech is worthy of grace or mercy,” the three parole board members said. “This decision was based on the coldblooded nature of David Dale Jensen’s murder and the sheer number of victims that Mr. Creech has created over his lifetime”
The AG said there will be more nitrogen executions in Alabama, stating his regret was that it took so long for the 1996 sentence to be carried out
Kenneth Eugene Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. at William C. Holman Correctional Facility after breathing pure nitrogen gas through a face mask, marking the first time that a new execution method has been used in the U.S.
The execution planned for Jan. 25 would be the first attempt to use a new method since lethal injection was introduced in 1982; three states have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method
“Generally, we believe in the use of capital punishment. But we are in agreement that the death penalty is not the appropriate punishment for Brian Dorsey,” a letter from dozens of former and current Missouri DOC employees stated
The lawsuit argued that Alabama DOC’s rule mandating a three-foot distance between the reverend and inmate during nitrogen execution was “hostile toward religion”
Attorneys for two of Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmates are challenging the state’s refusal to disclose the date of purchase for lethal injection drugs
Lawyers claim that the Alabama DOC’s rule on staying three feet away from the inmate during the nitrogen execution is unscientific and violates his right to practice religion
“We’ve waited a long time for justice to be served,” said Ryan Jett, a brother of one of the victims
“It’s kind of unfortunate that we had to wait so long for justice to be served, but it’s been served,” the victim’s brother said
Lt. Debra Clayton was shot and killed in a Walmart parking lot; a second officer was killed in a traffic collision during a manhunt for the suspect
“It took 22 years but the time came. It is done. We can finally and really begin to heal — 22 years of wondering what was going to happen,” the girl’s sister said
Brent Ray Brewer, 53, died by chemical injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the April 1990 death of Robert Laminack
“The execution will be carried out by nitrogen hypoxia, the method previously requested by the inmate as an alternative to lethal injection,” Gov. Kay Ivey said
Officer Billy Clardy III was 48 years old when he was shot and killed in December 2019 during an undercover drug operation
Three states — Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi — have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method but no state has attempted to use it
Thomas Creech was sentenced to life in prison, but less than 10 years later, he beat another man in custody to death and was sentenced to death
Antoinette Frank was convicted in the 1995 death of Officer Ronald Williams II during a robbery at a restaurant, where both officers sometimes moonlighted as security guards
Jedidiah Murphy’s plea about the safety of pentobarbital post-fire rejected by U.S. District Judge
Unsettling possibility of executing the innocent ignites discussion on pausing the death penalty despite its rooted support among state voters
Michael Zack III, 54, was put to death for killing two women during a 9-day series of crimes in 1996
Sheriff Grady Judd: “I am glad he (Johnson) hasn’t enjoyed a day of freedom since then, but the truth is, he should have been executed by the State a long time ago.”
After a court ruling that the electric chair and lethal injection are cruel and unusual punishments, lawyers say the inmates want to know about the phenobarbital supply and efficacy
Forcing a condemned-to-death inmate to breathe only nitrogen causes hypoxia, which halts bodily functions
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