Entries by Death Penalty Information Center


News 

Oct 152021

Florida Exoneree Robert DuBoise Sues Tampa Police Alleging Fabricated Evidence Sent Him to Death Row

Death-row exoneree Robert DuBoise (pic­tured) is suing the City of Tampa, four Tampa police offi­cers, and the foren­sic odon­tol­o­gist who false­ly tes­ti­fied against him, alleg­ing that they fab­ri­cat­ed evi­dence that led to his wrong­ful con­vic­tion and death sen­tence. DuBoise was exon­er­at­ed in August 2020 after a Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed his case and new DNA evi­dence exclud­ed him as the per­pe­tra­tor of the rape and mur­der for which he was wrong­ful­ly con­vict­ed and sentenced…

Read More

News 

Oct 142021

Supreme Court Hears Argument on Department of Justice Efforts to Reinstate Death Penalty in Boston Marathon Bombing Case

A United States Supreme Court sharply divid­ed along ide­o­log­i­cal lines heard oral argu­ment October 13, 2021 on the Department of Justice’s appeal of a fed­er­al cir­cuit court’s rul­ing over­turn­ing the death sen­tences imposed on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for his con­vic­tions in the 2013 Boston Marathon bomb­ing. Veteran court watch­ers report­ed that the six con­ser­v­a­tive jus­tices seemed poised to over­turn the fed­er­al appeal court’s grant of a new penal­ty phase hearing to…

Read More

News 

Oct 122021

Texas Federal Court Stays Execution of Stephen Barbee on Religious Freedom Issue, Defense Seeks Review of False Forensic Testimony

A fed­er­al court in Texas has stayed the October 12, 2021 exe­cu­tion of Texas death-row pris­on­er Stephen Barbee on his claims that the state’s refusal to allow his spir­i­tu­al advi­sor to admin­is­ter last rites, touch him, or pray out loud in the exe­cu­tion cham­ber vio­lates his con­sti­tu­tion­al and fed­er­al statu­to­ry rights to free exer­cise of reli­gion. Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued the stay…

Read More

News 

Oct 112021

As France Prepares to Assume Presidency of European Union, Emmanuel Macron Announces Initiative for Worldwide Abolition of Death Penalty

At a cer­e­mo­ny com­mem­o­rat­ing the 40th anniver­sary of Frances abo­li­tion of the death penal­ty, French President Emmanuel Macron (pic­tured) announced an ini­tia­tive to advance world­wide abo­li­tion of cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment. The announce­ment also coin­cid­ed with World Day Against the Death Penalty, which is observed annu­al­ly on October…

Read More

News 

Oct 062021

Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board Denies Clemency to Death-Row Prisoner Who Experienced Significant Abuse From Family and State Actors

A divid­ed Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has denied the clemen­cy peti­tion filed on behalf of death-row pris­on­er John Marion Grant, who is sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed on October 28, 2021. The 3 – 2 vote on October 5, 2021 — with Board mem­bers Adam Luck and Kelly Doyle vot­ing in favor of clemen­cy and mem­bers Richard Smothermon, Scott Williams, and Larry Morris vot­ing to let the exe­cu­tion pro­ceed — paves the way for the state’s first exe­cu­tion in more than six…

Read More