Entries by Death Penalty Information Center

“Over time lethal injection has become only more problematic and chaotic,” Deborah W. Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School, told the New York Times, summarizing the ongoing battles that have led states to adopt new drug sources or alternative methods of execution. Several states have obtained or sought drugs using sources that may violate pharmaceutical regulations. For the execution of Alfredo Prieto, Virginia obtained pentobarbital from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which…

A report by The Oklahoman has revealed that Oklahoma violated its execution protocol and used the wrong final drug during the execution of Charles Warner on January 15, 2015. Warner, whose final words were “My body is on fire,” was executed using potassium acetate, the same drug that was delivered for Richard Glossip’s aborted execution on September 30. The drug called for in the protocol is potassium chloride. Glossip’s execution was stayed as a result of the mix-up, and Attorney General Scott…

On October 6, Montana District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock (pictured) held that the state’s proposed lethal injection protocol violated state law, which requires that an “ultra fast-acting barbiturate” be used in executions. Judge Sherlock said the proposed barbiturate, pentobarbital, does not qualify as such a drug. The ruling stated, “The State of Montana is hereby enjoined from using the drug pentobarbital in its lethal injection protocol unless and until the statute authorizing lethal…

Eight death-row prisoners whom Arkansas has scheduled to be executed in the next four months have asked a judge to issue a preliminary injunction that would put their executions on hold. They argue that the state’s execution procedures are unconstitutional for multiple reasons and that Arkansas’ secrecy law violates a previous settlement agreement between death row inmates and the state. Arkansas, which has not carried out an execution since November 2005, has scheduled eight executions for…

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Williams v. Pennsylvania, a case challenging former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille’s participation in an appeal of a case that had been tried in Philadelphia while Castille was the city’s district attorney. Terrance Williams (pictured) was convicted and sentenced to death in Philadelphia in 1984 for the murder of a man prosecutors had described to the jury as “a kind man [who had] offered [Williams] a ride home.” Williams was…

On October 2, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon commuted the death sentence of Kimber Edwards to life without parole. Edwards had faced execution on October 6 for the alleged murder-for-hire killing of his ex-wife. Prosecutors said Edwards had hired Orthell Wilson to kill his ex-wife to prevent her from testifying in a child-support hearing. Wilson pled guilty and was sentenced to life without parole. He subsequently recanted his story, saying that he had acted alone and had lied about being hired…

On October 1, Virginia executed Alfredo Prieto (pictured) before the U.S. Supreme Court had decided whether to grant a stay on his challenge to Virginia’s use of an execution drug obtained from Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Robert Lee, Prieto’s attorney, said, “The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States were considering Mr. Prieto’s request for a stay of execution but the Virginia Department of Corrections went ahead with the execution without waiting for a decision from the…

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said he is “more open” to the abolition of the death penalty after hearing Pope Francis’ address to Congress. Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism several years ago, said he was “very impressed” with Pope Francis’ comments. In an appearance on HuffPost Live, Gingrich highlighted the work he has done on criminal justice reform, saying, “I very deeply believe we need to profoundly rethink what we’ve done over the past 25 years in…

An unusually high number of executions are scheduled for late September and early October — five states intend to carry out six executions in nine days. Pieces in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post describe the larger issues raised by the cases in this “burst of lethal activity.” In the Los Angeles Times, Scott Martelle examined the three executions scheduled for consecutive days in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Virginia, concluding, “So here we have three pending executions: One of a woman…

Virginia may execute Alfredo Prieto on October 1 despite concerns by disability advocates that he may be intellectually disabled. Governor Terry McAuliffe (pictured) announced on September 28 that he would not grant Prieto a reprieve. Gov. McAuliffe issued a statement saying “It is the Governor’s responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are properly carried out unless circumstances merit a stay or commutation of the sentence. After extensive review and deliberation, I have…