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.
