Publications & Testimony

When Ernest Dykes was brought to trial on death penalty charges in Alameda County, California in the mid-1990s, it was reasonably expected that prosecutors and defense attorneys alike would work hard to shape the jury to their benefit. What Mr. Dykes (who is Black) didn’t know until recently, however, was just how far the prosecution would go to curate their ideal jury. In April 2024, Alameda County, California prosecutors discovered index cards in Mr. Dykes’ case that revealed prosecutors’…

On January 28, 2025, the Florida Legislature passed an immigration bill that includes a provision mandating the automatic imposition of the death penalty for “unauthorized aliens” convicted of a capital offense, despite longstanding U.S. precedent and international law prohibiting mandatory death sentences. The bill was introduced during a short special legislative session called by Governor Ron DeSantis (pictured), leaving little to no time for public review: state senators received the full…

Retired federal magistrate Judge David Duncan (pictured), who was hired and then abruptly fired by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to review the state’s execution protocol, continues to raise significant concerns about the state’s lethal injection protocol. In an interview with ABC15, Judge Duncan highlighted issues with the chain of command for lethal injection drugs, transparency, and the state documentation process. “It’s shocking irony that one of my tasks was transparency — [and] on the eve of…

In this month’s episode of 12:01: The Death Penalty in Context, Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with DPI Communications Associate Hayley Bedard, about The Death Penalty in 2024, which highlights trends and events related to the death penalty. 2024 marked the tenth consecutive year during which fewer than 30 people were executed (25) and fewer than 50 people were sentenced to death (26), while high profile cases of death-sentenced people attracted significant media attention and new…

I am Ready, Warden, a documentary about Texas death row prisoner John Henry Ramirez, was announced as a nominee for Best Documentary Short at the 2025 Academy Awards. The film tells the story of the days leading up to Mr. Ramirez’s 2022 execution. It features interviews with Mr. Ramirez and his son, Israel, as well as Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez, who opposes the death penalty and sought to halt Mr. Ramirez’s execution. It also centers the experience of Aaron Castro, the son…

On January 23, 2025, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted an injunction enjoining the enforcement of an Arizona statute, Victim Contact Limits, which prohibits criminal defense teams from contacting crime victims and their family members directly. The restrictions are found in Arizona’s Victim Rights Implementation Act (Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13- 4433(B)) and also apply to death penalty cases. The decision means that prisoners and their lawyers may no longer engage directly with victims and their…

According to the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s annual Year in Review, Texas’ death row continued to shrink in 2024, reflecting prosecutors’ increasing reluctance to bring new capital cases and juries’ growing reluctance to sentence individuals to death. Texas juries imposed just six new death sentences in 2024, marking the tenth consecutive year of single-digit death sentences. Five of those six involved defendants of color, following another long-observed trend. In 1999…

According to investigative reporting from the AZ Mirror, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, & Reentry (ADCRR) is storing the state’s supply of pentobarbital salt, the active ingredient used in a compounded form in lethal injection executions, in eight unmarked glass containers in a prison refrigerator, raising doubts about the drugs’ authenticity and efficacy. ADCRR has refused to reveal how long it has been in possession of these…

At Brenda Andrew’s 2004 trial in Oklahoma for the murder of her husband, the prosecutor called witnesses to testify about her “provocative” clothing and her previous sexual relationships, and questioned “whether a good mother would dress or behave” the way she had. Jurors heard Ms. Andrew called a “hoochie” and a “slut puppy.” In his closing argument, the prosecutor opened a suitcase and showed the jury Ms. Andrew’s underwear, asking, “The grieving widow packs this in her appropriate act of…