Publications & Testimony

Idaho law empowers state courts to review and block certain government actions, such as those imposed without notice or public input, as well as policy changes that are “arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion.” However, a bill signed March 31 by Gov. Brad Little (R) exempts execution procedures from these oversight requirements. If the prison director decides to alter the execution protocol, death-sentenced prisoners will only be able to challenge those changes on constitutional…

DPI’s “What to Know” series examines capital punishment from multiple angles, one topic at a time. Each installment provides essential facts and data on specific aspects of the death penalty. Why it matters:The race of victims weighs heavily in capital punishment decisions. Studies confirm that defendants with white victims are more likely to be charged capitally, sentenced to death, have those sentences upheld on appeal, and be executed. “The strongest…

On April 2, 2026, the Florida Supreme Court ordered new briefing that will extend past the warrant deadline for James Duckett’s execution. The order was issued in connection with defense counsel’s request for further analysis of DNA evidence in Mr. Duckett’s case. Counsel for Mr. Duckett released a statement following the Court’s order, noting they “are relieved that the court has intervened to halt this execution and allow time to consider Mr. Duckett’s request for the necessary analysis of…

In a February 2026 article published in the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, Professor Deborah Denno charts how execution methods in the United States “have become crueler” over the past fifty years. Her article details execution procedures adopted across death penalty states from 1977 to 2025, analyzing their societal and cultural underpinnings, and exposing their “flaws, unscientific origins, and reliance on unqualified executioners.” “Boyd asks for the barest form of mercy: to die by…

James Broadnax, a Texas death-sentenced prisoner, is scheduled to be executed on April 30, 2026. He was convicted in 2009 by a Dallas County jury for the murders of two music producers, Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler, who were shot and killed outside their recording studio in 2008. On March 19, 2026, a little more than a month before his scheduled execution, attorneys for Mr. Broadnax filed a new appeal and a sworn affidavit from his codefendant and cousin Demarius Cummings, in which Mr.

For 35 years, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) has carefully tracked and analyzed how the death penalty is used in the United States. DPI is the only national organization that monitors new death sentences, executions, public opinion, legislation, and newsworthy events, providing critical context to facilitate meaningful public debate and inform sound policy decisions about the death penalty. DPI’s most popular educational resource, “Facts About the Death Penalty,” presents critical…

Texas prosecutors sent Rodney Reed to death row for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites, whom they argued was strangled with her own leather belt. Yet for over a decade, state officials have fought Mr. Reed’s requests to test that belt for the killer’s DNA. In 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Reed’s lawsuit seeking the test was timely, and last year it struck down Texas’ attempts to block DNA testing in two other capital cases. However, on March 23, the Court refused to hear…