Entries tagged with “Tom Wolf”

Executions

Jan 05, 2026

Pennsylvania Governor Issues Reprieve for Richard Laird, Continuing State’s Execution Moratorium

On December 5, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro issued an execution reprieve for Richard Roland Laird, the same day the Department of Corrections Secretary Laurel Harry signed a Notice of Execution for January 2, 2026. In issuing the same-day reprieve, Gov. Shapiro acted on his promise to maintain an execution moratorium in Pennsylvania. In February 2023, Gov. Shapiro announced he would continue his predecessor Tom Wolf’s halt on executions, and called upon the Pennsylvania General…

Issues

May 22, 2024

Family of Youngest Person Executed in Pennsylvania History Sues County for His Wrongful Conviction and Execution 93 Years Ago

Susie Williams Carter was just a baby when her 16-year-old brother, Alexander McClay Williams, was convicted of murder and executed in Pennsylvania in 1931. Over 90 years later, Ms. Carter, now 94, continues her family’s determination to clear her brother’s name. In June 2022, a Delaware County, Pennsylvania judge agreed that law enforcement had disregarded evidence and coerced Mr. Williams into signing multiple false confessions. All charges against Mr. Williams were posthumously dismissed and…