In a report examining Virginia’s death penalty system, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has urged the state to enact a moratorium on executions until its flawed capital punishment system is reformed. The report, “Broken Justice: The Death Penalty in Virginia,” reviews issues such as the quality of defense counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, racial bias, innocence, and the execution of those with mental retardation and juvenile offenders. The findings, which were endorsed by a coalition of civic organizations in Virginia, led the ACLU to propose nine key reforms to improve systemic fairness. Among the recommendations were elimination of Virginia’s 21-day rule, keeping detailed statistics on all potential capital crimes, and having the Virginia Supreme Court record and publish all examples of prosecutorial misconduct. (Associated Press, November 13, 2003). Read the report. See Virginia and Innocence.
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). ACLU Report Finds Virginia's Death Penalty Riddled With Flaws, Recommends Reforms. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/aclu-report-finds-virginias-death-penalty-riddled-with-flaws-recommends-reforms
- Death Penalty Information Center. “ACLU Report Finds Virginia's Death Penalty Riddled With Flaws, Recommends Reforms.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/aclu-report-finds-virginias-death-penalty-riddled-with-flaws-recommends-reforms.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “ACLU Report Finds Virginia's Death Penalty Riddled With Flaws, Recommends Reforms.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/aclu-report-finds-virginias-death-penalty-riddled-with-flaws-recommends-reforms. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.