---
title: "Executions Since Supreme Court's Upholding of Lethal Injection"
description: 'On April 16, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Kentucky’s lethal injection process in Baze v. Rees, thereby opening the door to a resumption of…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions-since-supreme-courts-upholding-of-lethal-injection'
section: news
date: '2008-08-10T04:00:00-04:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:25:20-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

On April 16, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Kentucky's lethal injection process in *Baze v. Rees*, thereby opening the door to a resumption of executions which had been on hold since September 2007. Since then, there have been 18 executions:

- 100% have been in the South
- 33% have been in Texas
- All but one have been by lethal injection.

Of the 18 defendants executed:

- 8 were white
- 8 were black
- 2 were Hispanic.

Of the 25 victims in the underlying murders:

- 13 were white
- 9 were black
- 2 were Hispanic
- 1 was Asian.

During the same time period there have been:

- 3 clemencies granted
- 2 cases are pending relief (one stayed by Ala. Sup. Ct., one with a recommendation of clemency from the Pardons Board in Ark.).

As of August 9, 2008. See [**Executions** ](/executions-united-states?did=414&scid=8)and [**Clemency**](/clemency?did=126&scid=13).