There have been 24 exe­cu­tions so far in 2008. Executions resumed on May 5 after the U.S. Supreme Court approved Kentucky’s lethal injec­tion process in Baze v. Rees. One hun­dred per­cent of the exe­cu­tions have been in the South, includ­ing 9 in Texas, 4 in Virginia, and 3 in Georgia. At least 12 cas­es have been grant­ed stays of exe­cu­tions in the past two months, includ­ing Troy Davis, whose exe­cu­tion in Georgia was halt­ed by the U.S. Supreme Court. As of orders issued on October 6, 2008, the Court has tak­en no fur­ther action in the Davis case.

Additional facts:

Race of Defendants executed:

White: 11 (46%)

Black: 10 (42%)

Latino: 3 (12%)

Race of Victims in the underlying murder:

White: 19 (58%)

Black: 11 (33%)

Latino/​a: 2 (6%)

Asian: 1 (3%)

No white defen­dant has been exe­cut­ed in 2008 for the mur­der of only a black vic­tim (one defen­dant was exe­cut­ed for the mur­der of 2 white vic­tims and 1 black vic­tim). Since the death penal­ty was rein­stat­ed in 1976, only about 15 white defen­dants have been exe­cut­ed for the mur­der of sole­ly black vic­tims. About 228 black defen­dants have been exe­cut­ed for the mur­der of white vic­tims. In 2007, there were 42 exe­cu­tions, includ­ing 86% in the South (26 in Texas). See Executions, Race, and Arbitrariness.

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