Entries tagged with “Katie Hobbs”
Jan 21, 2026
New Autopsy Report Renews Concerns about Arizona’s Execution Protocol
An autopsy of Richard Djerf, who was executed in Arizona in October 2025, has renewed concerns about the state’s lethal injection execution protocol and the state’s efforts to address longstanding execution-related concerns. Mr. Djerf was convicted for the September 1993 murders of four members of the Luna family in Phoenix. The autopsy, conducted by Pinal County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. John Hu, established for the first time that medical personnel encountered significant difficulty…
Executions
Religion
,Mar 24, 2025
Four Executions in Three Days Spotlight Constitutional Concerns About Death Penalty
In a three-day span from March 18 to March 20, four men were executed in four different states. Two of the men put to death, in Louisiana and Arizona, were the first executed in their state in years. While the close timing of the executions resulted from independent state-level decisions and individualized legal developments rather than any coordinated national effort, all four executions raised serious constitutional concerns. March 18: Jessie Hoffman (LA) On March 18, Louisiana executed…
Methods of Execution
,Feb 03, 2025
Fired Federal Judge Raises Serious Concerns About Arizona’s Lethal Injection Protocol
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…
Methods of Execution
,Jan 23, 2025
Arizona’s Handling of Lethal Injection Drugs Raises Transparency and Viability Concerns
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…
Botched Executions
,Upcoming Executions
,Jan 07, 2025
Aaron Gunches Asks for February Execution Date, Raising New Concerns About Arizona’s Lethal Injection Protocol and the Execution of “Volunteers”
No jury has ever learned about Aaron Gunches’ life history and experiences, nothing about his childhood, mental and physical health, or trauma — the mitigation evidence that the Supreme Court has said is essential to a constitutional death sentence. Arizona courts judged Mr. Gunches competent to represent himself in two separate trials for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s husband, and he presented no defense in either proceeding. Jurors twice sentenced him to death. On December 30, Mr. Gunches…
Dec 02, 2024
Arizona Attorney General Announces State Ready to Resume Executions as Governor Hobbs Abruptly Ends Independent Review of Execution Protocols
On November 26, 2024, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced her office will resume seeking execution warrants. AG Mayes’ announcement comes after Governor Katie Hobbs ended the state’s independent review of its execution protocol and processes, dismissing retired federal magistrate David Duncan before he had completed his review. In a letter to Judge Duncan, Gov. Hobbs said his actions during the review went beyond his mandate. The review was launched in 2023, as newly elected Gov.