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.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen is petitioning the county Superior Court to resentence 14 men — all being held in San Quentin State Prison — to terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole
“I’ve decided to drop my appeals and have my sentence carried out… I was fairly tried and convicted. I agreed with the court’s decision,” the inmate said
The inmate is the first person executed in Oklahoma this year and the 12th put to death since the state resumed executions in 2021 following a nearly seven-year hiatus
Gov. Jay Inslee and AG Bob Ferguson announced a proposal to abolish the death penalty in Washington state
The inmate whose murder case inspired the movie “Boys Don’t Cry” has joined a fellow inmate in challenging Neb.'s three-judge method for determining death sentences
An expert said problems with past Ohio executions occurred because executioners didn’t properly connect the IVs
Inmate Christopher Wilkins gave no final statement
More than 50 people sent a letter to the governor asking him to support Ricky Gray’s request to have his sentence commuted to life in prison
Attorneys contended Christopher Wilkins had poor legal help at trial and the courts improperly refused to authorize money for a more thorough investigation
A judge weighing whether Ohio’s new execution method is constitutional ordered the state to clear up whether its supply of three lethal injection drugs is enough
Attorneys asked the judge for a delay to enable Ricky Gray to challenge the state’s plan to use lethal injection drugs from a secret compounding pharmacy
If the execution goes ahead, it will be the nation’s first this year
The bill would bring back lethal injection as a punishment option for convicted killers of COs, police and children
The logs show the state could conceivably carry out dozens of executions with these supplies
Gary Lee Sampson was sentenced to death in 2003 for the carjack killings of multiple men in 2001, but the sentence was overturned in 2011
As he promised earlier in the trial, Roof — who is representing himself — rested his case without calling witnesses or presenting any evidence on his own behalf
The Supreme Court by a 5-2 vote forbid the state from imposing the death penalty in pending prosecutions, only to withdraw the order hours later as “prematurely issued”
Dennis McGuire repeatedly gasped and snorted during the 26 minutes it took him to die using a two-drug combination
Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a federal agency to force it to decide whether an impounded shipment of a drug used for executions should be delivered to the Texas prison system
The drugs that Virginia plans to use in a lethal injection this month were appropriately prepared and tested, an attorney for the state said
A judge has ruled that Roof may represent himself during sentencing proceedings for his crimes
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a judge’s order blocking death row inmates from information about Ohio’s new lethal injection process
It’s the latest obstacle in the state’s effort to resume executions after more than 11 years
The governor cited a “lack of clear deterrent value, high frequency of sentence reversal on appeal, and rising cost”
More than a quarter of the state’s 35 death row inmates have evidence of an intellectual disability or traumatic brain injury
Roof won’t call witnesses or present evidence, but he is working to keep secret potentially embarrassing evidence about himself and his family
The secrecy law blocks anyone from getting information about individuals or entities participating in executions
A federal judge has lifted a stay of execution for former soldier Ronald A. Gray who was sentenced to death for killing two women and three rapes
Attorneys for Tommy Arthur said they should have a means to contact the courts if an execution goes awry
The AG’s office said that Ricky Gray won’t be “irreparably harmed” by the compounded substances
The court declared in a separate ruling that anyone who received a death sentence after a 2002 decision could be eligible for a new sentencing hearing
The Ohio Parole Board recommended against clemency earlier this month
A remaining claim in the lawsuit alleges the state has abused its discretion in the methods and amounts of drugs used in past executions