Capital punishment is the legal process which ends the life of a felon. In the United States, in modern times, it is employed rarely and, in practice, only in cases involving murder. The history of U.S. capital punishment begins in the colonies under the laws of their mother countries and was carried over into U.S. law and the law of most of the U.S. states and territories. The methods of execution and the crimes subject to the penalty vary by jurisdiction and have varied widely throughout time. Some jurisdictions have banned it, others have suspended its use, but others are trying to expand its applicability. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, there have been 1,099 executions in the United States as of April 2008.^[1] There were 42 executions in 2007.^[1] Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ... A felony, in many common law legal systems, is the term for a very serious crime; misdemeanors are considered to be less serious. ...

Capital punishment is a controversial issue, with many prominent organizations and individuals participating in the debate. Arguments for and against capital punishment are based on moral, practical, religious, and emotional grounds. Advocates of the death penalty argue that it deters crime, improves the community by making sure that convicted criminals do not offend again, provides closure to surviving victims or loved ones, and is a just penalty for their crime. Opponents of the death penalty refute many of the claims of its advocates including the arguments of deterrence, cost and of ensuring a prisoner is never allowed back into the community. Opponents also state that "capital punishment cheapens human life and puts government on the same low moral level as criminals who have taken life."^[2] Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ...

Between 1973 and 1995, 67% of capital convictions in the United States were eventually overturned, mainly on procedural grounds of incompetent legal counsel, police or prosecutors who suppressed evidence, judges who gave jurors the wrong instructions and mass commutations by governors personally opposed to the death penalty.^[3][4] Among those whose sentences were overturned, seven percent were acquitted and ten percent were retried and re-sentenced to death.^[4] The remainder typically ended up with lesser sentences, up to and including life imprisonment. Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, often for most or even all of the criminals remaining life, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually 7 to 50 years...

History of executions

Death penalty statutes in the United States
Color key:      No current death penalty statute      Death penalty declared unconstitutional      No-one executed since 1976      Has performed execution since 1976

The Espy file^[5] lists 15,269 people executed in the United States and its predecessors between 1608 and 1991. 4,661 executions occurred in the U.S. in the period from 1930 to 2002 with about two-thirds of the executions occurring in the first 20 years.^[6] Additionally the United States Army executed 160 soldiers between 1930 and 1961. The last United States Navy execution was in 1849. is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. ... The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature. ... Jon Stevens Corzine (born January 1, 1947) is the Governor of New Jersey. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the state. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links Death_penalty_statutes_in_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Death_penalty_statutes_in_the_United_States. ... The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... USN redirects here. ...

The largest single execution in United States history was the hanging of 38 Dakota people convicted of murder and rape in the Dakota War of 1862. They were executed simultaneously on December 26, 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota. A single blow from an axe cut the rope that held the large four-sided platform, and the prisoners (except for one whose rope had broken, and who consequently had to be restrung) fell to their deaths.^[7] The second largest mass execution in United States history was also a hanging: the execution of 13 African American soldiers for their parts in the Houston Riot. Notably, both incidents involved ethnic minority defendants, and military tribunal judgments in time of war. Chief Taoyateduta, known as Chief Little Crow Settlers escaping the violence. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... “Mankato” redirects here. ... Around noon, on August 23, 1917, two Houston policemen detained an African American soldier for interfering with their arrest of an African American woman. ...

On June 2, 1967, Charles Martel was executed in Colorado's Gas Chamber, resulting in the last pre-Furman execution. is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Demonym Coloradan Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th in the US  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Gas chamber (disambiguation). ... Holding The arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. ...

Capital punishment was suspended in the United States from 1972 through 1976 primarily as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972). In this case, the court found the imposition of the death penalty in a consolidated group of cases to be unconstitutional, on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution. Holding The arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into constitutionality. ... Cruel And Unusual redirects here. ... Amendment VIII (the Eighth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, prohibits excessive bail or fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishment. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The United States Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ...

In Furman, the United States Supreme Court considered a group of consolidated cases. The lead case involved an individual convicted under Georgia's death penalty statute, which featured a "unitary trial" procedure in which the jury was asked to return a verdict of guilt or innocence and, simultaneously, determine whether the defendant would be punished by death or life imprisonment. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States...

In a five-to-four decision, the Supreme Court struck down the imposition of the death penalties in each of the consolidated cases as unconstitutional. The five justices in the majority did not produce a single opinion or rationale for their decision, however, and agreed only on a short statement announcing the result. The narrowest opinions, those of Justice White and Justice Stewart, expressed generalized concerns about the inconsistent application of the death penalty across a variety of cases but did not exclude the possibility of a constitutional death penalty law. Justices Stewart and Douglas worried explicitly about racial discrimination in enforcement of the death penalty. Justice Marshall and Justice Brennan expressed the opinion that the death penalty was proscribed absolutely by the Eighth Amendment as "cruel and unusual" punishment.

Though many observers expected few, if any, states to readopt the death penalty after Furman, 37 states did in fact enact new death penalty statutes which attempted to address the concerns of White and Stewart. Some of the states responded by enacting "mandatory" death penalty statutes which prescribed a sentence of death for anyone convicted of certain forms of murder (Justice White had hinted such a scheme would meet his constitutional concerns in his Furman opinion). Other states adopted "bifurcated" trial and sentencing procedures, with various procedural limitations on the jury's ability to pronounce a death sentence designed to limit juror discretion. The Court clarified Furman in Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976) and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325 (1976), 431 U.S. 633 ( 1977), which explicitly forbade any state from punishing a specific form of murder (such as that of a police officer) with a mandatory death penalty. We dont have an article called Woodson v. ... Holding The imposition of the death penalty does not, automatically, violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment. ...

In 1976, contemporaneously with Woodson and Roberts, the Court decided Gregg v. Georgia, 153 428 U.S. 153 (1976) and upheld a procedure in which the trial of capital crimes was bifurcated into guilt-innocence and sentencing phases. At the first proceeding, the jury decides the defendant's guilt; if the defendant is innocent or otherwise not convicted of first-degree murder, the death penalty will not be imposed. At the second hearing, the jury determines whether certain statutory aggravating factors exist, and whether any mitigating factors exist, and, in many jurisdictions, weigh the aggravating and mitigating factors in assessing the ultimate penalty — either death or life in prison, either with or without parole. Holding The imposition of the death penalty does not, automatically, violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment. ... A mitigating factor in law is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime than might result in reduced charges or a lesser sentence. ...

The 1977 Coker v. Georgia decision barred the death penalty for rape, and, by implication, for any offense other than murder. The current federal kidnapping statute, however, may be exempt due to the fact that the death penalty applies if the victim expires in the perpetrator's custody, not necessarily by his hand, thus stipulating a resulting death, which was the wording of the objection. In addition, the federal government retains the death penalty for such non-murder offenses as treason, espionage and crimes under military jurisdiction; there has been no challenge to these statutes as of 2007.) This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Executions resumed on January 17, 1977, when Gary Gilmore went before a firing squad in Utah. But the pace was quite halting due to use of litigation tactics which involved filing repeated writs for habeas corpus, which succeeded for many in delaying their actual execution for many years. Although hundreds of individuals were sentenced to death in the U.S. during the 1970s and early 1980s, only ten people besides Gilmore (who had waived all of his appeal rights) were actually executed prior to 1984. is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... This article is about the American murderer. ... The Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Possibly in part due to expedited federal habeas corpus procedures embodied in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the pace of executions has picked up. Since the death penalty was reauthorized in 1976 1,029 people have been executed, almost exclusively by the states, with most occurring after 1990. Texas has accounted for over a third of modern executions (385 as of 8 March 2007); the federal government has executed only 3 people in the last 27 years. California has the greatest number of prisoners on death row, but has held relatively few executions. Throw Away The Key, a group that advocates tougher sentences and victim's rights, estimates that about 1800 people were murdered by the first 1000 people executed since 1976. This is out of a total of 600,000 people murdered in the United States since 1975.^[8] Habeas corpus (/heɪbiəs kɔɹpəs/), Latin for you [should] have the body, is the name of a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment. ... The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (also known as AEDPA) is a series of laws in the United States signed into law on April 24, 1996 to deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and for other purposes. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

In addition, the Supreme Court has utilized IQ test results during the sentencing phase of some criminal proceedings. The Supreme Court case of Atkins v. Virginia, decided June 20, 2002,^[9] held that executions of mentally retarded criminals are "cruel and unusual punishments" prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. IQ redirects here; for other uses of that term, see IQ (disambiguation). ... In law, a sentence forms the final act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. ... Holding A Virginia law allowing the execution of mentally handicapped individuals violated the Eighth Amendments prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Mental retardation (abbreviated as MR), is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal intellectual capacity as an adult. ... Cruel And Unusual redirects here. ... The Eighth Amendment may refer to the: Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution - part of the bill of rights. ...

After the Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005), the minimum age at time of crime to be subject to the death penalty was raised to 18. Holding The Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. ...

Crimes subject to capital punishment

Crimes subject to the death penalty vary by jurisdiction. All jurisdictions which use capital punishment designate the highest grade of murder a capital crime, although most jurisdictions require aggravating circumstances. Treason is a capital offense in several jurisdictions.^[10] Other capital crimes include: aggravated rape in Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma; extortionate kidnapping in Oklahoma; aggravated kidnapping in Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and South Carolina; aircraft hijacking in Alabama; drug trafficking resulting in a person's death in Connecticut; train wrecking which leads to a person's death, and perjury which leads to a person's death in California.^[10][11][12] In practice, no one has been executed for a crime other than murder or conspiracy to murder since James Coburn was executed for robbery in Alabama on September 4, 1964.^[13] For other uses, see Treason (disambiguation) or Traitor (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[2] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[3] Area  Ranked 48th in the US  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ...

As of December 2007 there are two death row inmates convicted of a crime other than murder — Patrick O. Kennedy in Louisiana, who was sentenced to death for the aggravated rape of his then eight year old stepdaughter,^[14] and Richard L. Davis in Louisiana who has a history of rapes of children. Juan Manuel Alvarez is currently facing charges for train wrecking in California. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. ^[15]. Patrick O. Kennedy is the only person currently on death row in the United States for a crime other than murder. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Juan Manuel Alvarez (born 1978) is a Californian suspected of causing the January 26, 2005 Glendale train crash, a collision between a passenger train and a car in Glendale, California (a suburb of Los Angeles). ...

The most recent executions solely for crimes other than homicide were, respectively:

• Rape - Ronald Wolfe on May 8, 1964, in Missouri.
• Criminal assault - Rudolph Wright on January 11, 1962, in California.
• Kidnapping - Billy Monk on November 21, 1960, in California.
• Robbery/rape/kidnapping - Caryl Chessman on May 2, 1960, in California.
• Espionage - Ethel and Julius Rosenberg on June 19, 1953, in New York (Federal execution)
• Desertion - Eddie Slovik on January 31, 1945, in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France (Execution by firing squad).^[16]
• Burglary - Frank Bass on August 8, 1941, in Alabama.
• Train Robbery - Black Jack Ketchum April 26, 1901 in Clayton, New Mexico (then a territory rather than a state).
• Arson - George Hughes, George Smith, and Asbury Hughes on August 1, 1884, in Alabama.
• Piracy - Nathaniel Gordon on February 21, 1862, in New York (Federal execution).
• Treason - John Conn in 1862 in Texas.
• Slave revolt - Slaves named Caesar, Sam and Sanford on 19 October 1860, in Alabama.
• Aiding a runaway slave - Starling Carlton in 1859 in South Carolina.
• Theft - Slave named Jake on December 3, 1855, in Alabama.
• Horse stealing - James Wilson and Fred Salkman on 28 November 1851, in California.
• Forgery - Unknown defendant on 6 March 1840, in South Carolina.
• Counterfeiting - Thomas Davis on 11 October 1822, in Alabama.
• Sodomy/buggery/bestiality - Joseph Ross on December 20, 1785, in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.
• Concealing the birth/death of an infant - Hannah Piggen in 1785 in Middlesex, Massachusetts.
• Witchcraft - African American person named Manuel on June 15, 1779, in (present-day) Illinois.

Several people who were executed have received posthumous pardons for their crimes. For example, slave revolt was a capital crime, and many who were executed for that reason have since been posthumously pardoned. is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Assault is a crime of violence against another person. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 in St. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... The Rosenbergs Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg (September 28, 1915 – June 19, 1953) and Julius Rosenberg (May 12, 1918 – June 19, 1953) were American citizens and CPUSA members who were thrust into the world spotlight when they were tried, convicted, and executed for spying for the Soviet Union. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses of Desertion, see Abandonment. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (German: Markirch) is a commune of the Haut-Rhin département, in France. ... The Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Train robbery was a crime that occurred mainly in the middle-to-late 19th century. ... Thomas Edward Ketchum Ketchum Thomas Edward Ketchum, (October 31, 1863 - April 26, 1901) also known as Black Jack was at first an ordinary cowboy and cattle driver who later turned to a life of crime. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Clayton is a town located in Union County, New Mexico. ... Official language(s) None Spoken language(s) English 68. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Captain Nathaniel Gordon (born about 1834 in Portland, Maine, died February 21, 1862 in New York City) was the first and only American slave-trader to be tried, convicted, and hanged in accordance with the U. S. Piracy Law of 1820. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... A slave revolt, like a rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A rustler is an individual who steals livestock, particularly cattle. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other uses, see Counterfeit (disambiguation). ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... François Elluin, Sodomites provoking the wrath of God, from Le pot pourri de Loth (1781). ... Roman men having anal sex. ... This article is about zoophilia, the emotional and (optionally) sexual attraction of humans to animals. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Westmoreland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Concealing the birth of an infant is when a parent hides the birth of their child. ... Middlesex County is a county located in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Witch redirects here. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

The legal process

The legal administration of the death penalty in the United States is complex. Typically, it involves four critical steps: (1) Sentencing, (2) Direct Review, (3) State Collateral Review, and (4) Federal Habeas Corpus. Recently, a narrow and final fifth level of process—(5) the Section 1983 Challenge—has become increasingly important.^[17] (Clemency or Pardon, through which the Governor or President of the jurisdiction can unilaterally reduce or abrogate a death sentence, is an executive rather than legal process.^[18]) In law, a sentence forms the final act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. ... For other uses, see Habeas corpus (disambiguation). ... The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, now codified and known as , is one of the most important federal statutes in force in the United States. ... For the Breton religious festivals, see Pardon (ceremony). ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see President (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... The judiciary, also referred to as the judicature, consists of justices, judges and magistrates among other types of adjudicators. ...

Direct review

If a defendant is sentenced to death at the trial level, the case then goes into a direct review.^[19] The direct review process is a typical legal appeal. An appellate court examines the record of evidence presented in the trial court and the law that the lower court applied and decides whether the decision was legally sound or not.^[20] Direct review of a capital sentencing hearing will result in one of three outcomes. If the appellate court finds that no significant legal errors occurred in the capital sentencing hearing, the appellate court will affirm the judgment, or let the sentence stand.^[21] If the appellate court finds that significant legal errors did occur, then it will reverse the judgment, or nullify the sentence and order a new capital sentencing hearing.^[22] Lastly, if the appellate court finds that no reasonable juror could find the defendant eligible for the death penalty, a rarity, then it will order the defendant acquitted, or legally innocent, of the death penalty and order him sentenced to the next most severe punishment for which the offense is eligible.^[23] A majority of death sentences, however — about 60% — survive the process of direct review intact.^[24] In law, an appeal is a process for making a formal challenge to an official decision. ... Court of Appeals or (outside the U.S. and in some American states) Court of Appeal is the title of a court which has the power to consider or hear an appeal. ...

State collateral review

At times when a death sentence is affirmed on direct review, it is considered final. Yet, supplemental methods to attack the judgment, though less familiar than a typical appeal, do remain. These supplemental remedies are considered collateral review, that is, an avenue for upsetting judgments that have become otherwise final.^[25] Where the prisoner received his death sentence in a state-level trial, as is usually the case, the first step in collateral review is State Collateral Review. (If the case is a federal death penalty case, it proceeds immediately from direct review to federal habeas corpus.) Although all states have some type of collateral review, the process varies widely from state to state.^[26] Generally, the purpose of these collateral proceedings is to permit the prisoner to challenge his sentence on grounds that could not have been raised reasonably at trial or on direct review.^[27] Most often these are claims, such as ineffective assistance of counsel, which require the court to consider new evidence outside the original trial record, something courts may not do in an ordinary appeal. State Collateral Review, though an important step in that it helps define the scope of subsequent review through Federal Habeas Corpus, is rarely successful in and of itself. Only around 6% of death sentences are overturned on State Collateral Review.^[28] Ineffective assistance of counsel is an issue raised in legal malpractice suits and in appeals in criminal cases where a criminal defendant asserts that their criminal conviction occurred because their attorney failed to properly defend the case. ... In law, an appeal is a process for making a formal challenge to an official decision. ...

Federal habeas corpus

After a death sentence is affirmed in State Collateral Review, the prisoner may file for Federal Habeas Corpus, which is a unique type of lawsuit that can be brought in federal courts. Federal habeas corpus is a species of collateral review, and it is the only way that state prisoners may attack a death sentence in federal court (other than petitions for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court after both direct review and state collateral review). The scope of federal habeas corpus is governed by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which restricted significantly its previous scope. The purpose of Federal habeas corpus is to ensure that state courts, through the process of direct review and State Collateral Review, have done at least a reasonable job in protecting the prisoner's Federal Constitutional Rights. Prisoners may also use Federal habeas corpus suits to bring forth new evidence that they are innocent of the crime, though to be a valid defense at this late stage in the process, evidence of innocence must be truly compelling.^[29] For other uses, see Habeas corpus (disambiguation). ... The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (also known as AEDPA) is a series of laws in the United States signed into law on April 24, 1996 to deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and for other purposes. ... A constitutional right is a right granted by a governments constitution (on the national or sub-national level), and cannot be legally denied by that government. ...

Review through federal habeas corpus is narrow in theory, but it is important in practice. According to Eric Freedman, 21% of death penalty cases are reversed through federal habeas corpus.^[30]

James Lieberman, a professor of law at the Columbia law school, stated in 1996 that his study found that when habeas corpus petitions in death penalty cases were traced from conviction to completition of the case that there was "a 40 percent success rate in all capital cases from 1978 to 1995."^[31] Similarly, a study by Ronald Tabek in a law review article puts the success rate in habeas corpus cases involving death row inmates even higher, finding that between "1976 and 1991, approximately 47% of the habeas petitions filed by death row inmates were granted." ^[32] The different numbers are largely definitional, rather than substantive. Freedam's statistics looks at the percentage of all death penalty cases reversed, while the others look only at cases not reversed prior to habeas corpus review.

Section 1983 contested

Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, a state prisoner is ordinarily only allowed one suit for habeas corpus in federal court. If the federal courts refuse to issue a writ of habeas corpus, the Governor may set an execution date. In recent times, however, prisoners have postponed execution through a final round of federal litigation using the Civil Rights Act of 1871 — codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1983 — which allows people to bring lawsuits to protect their civil rights. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (also known as AEDPA) is a series of laws in the US signed into law[1] on April 24, 1996 to deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and for other purposes. ... In law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction. ... The Civil Rights Act of 1871, now codified and known as , is one of the most important federal statutes in force in the United States. ... Title 42 of the United States Code outlines the role of Public Health and Social Welfare in the United States Code. ...

Traditionally, Section 1983 was of limited use for a state prisoner under sentence of death because the Supreme Court has held that habeas corpus, not Section 1983, is the only vehicle by which a state prisoner can challenge his judgment of death.^[33] In the recent Hill v. McDonough case, however, the United States Supreme Court approved the use of Section 1983 as a vehicle for challenging a state's method of execution as cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The theory is that a prisoner bringing such a challenge is not attacking directly his judgment of death, but rather the means that the judgment will be carried out. Therefore, the Supreme Court held in the Hill case, a prisoner can use Section 1983 rather than habeas corpus to bring the lawsuit. Yet, as Clarence Hill's own case shows, lower federal courts have often refused to hear suits challenging methods of execution on the ground that the prisoner brought the claim too late and only for the purposes of delay. Holding Because a death row prisoners Eighth Amendment challenge to the method of execution was not a habeas corpus petition, but instead stated a claim under 42 U.S.C. §1983, his claim could not be barred by his previously filed petition for habeas relief. ... Cruel And Unusual redirects here. ... Amendment VIII (the Eighth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, prohibits excessive bail or fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishment. ... Holding Because a death row prisoners Eighth Amendment challenge to the method of execution was not a habeas corpus petition, but instead stated a claim under 42 U.S.C. §1983, his claim could not be barred by his previously filed petition for habeas relief. ... Clarence Edward Hill (December 2, 1957- September 20, 2006) was a convicted murderer executed by the state of Florida. ...

Mitigating factor

The United States Supreme Court in Penry v. Lynaugh and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Bigby v. Dretke have been clear in their decisions that jury instructions in death penalty cases that do not ask about mitigating factors regarding the defendant's mental health violate the defendant's Eighth Amendment rights, saying that the jury is to be instructed to consider mitigating factors when answering unrelated questions. This ruling suggests specific explanations to jury is necessary to weigh mitigating factors. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding The Eighth Amendment does not forbid executing the mentally retarded; however, the three special issues a Texas jury is required to consider before imposing the death penalty did not adequately allow the jury in Penrys sentencing hearing to consider his alleged mental retardation as a mitigating factor. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States District Courts: Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas The court is based at... Bigby v. ... Jury instructions are the set of legal rules that jurors must follow when the jury is deciding a case. ... A mitigating factor in law is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime than might result in reduced charges or a lesser sentence. ... Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of a mental disorder. ... The Eighth Amendment may refer to the: Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution - part of the bill of rights. ...

Methods

See list of state-by-state methods of execution.

Methods for executions in the United States

Number of executions each year by the method used in the United States and the earlier colonies from 1608 to 2004. The adoption of electrocution caused a marked drop off in the number of hangings, which was used even less with the use of the gas chamber. After Gregg v. Georgia, most states changed to lethal injection, leading to its rise.

Various methods have been used in the history of the American colonies and the United States but only five methods are currently used. Historically, burning, pressing, breaking on wheel and bludgeoning were used for a small number of executions, while hanging was the most common method. The last person burned to death was a black slave in South Carolina in August 1825.^[34] The last person to be hung in chains was a murderer named John Marshall in West Virginia on April 4, 1913. Although decapitation was a legal method in Utah for the second half of the 19th century, it was never employed.^[35] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (957x620, 34 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Capital punishment in the United States ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (957x620, 34 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Capital punishment in the United States ... Holding The imposition of the death penalty does not, automatically, violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment. ... Jan Hus burned at the stake Execution by burning has a long history as a method of punishment for crimes such as treason, heresy and witchcraft (burning, however, was actually less common than hanging, pressing, or drowning as a punishment for witchcraft). ... Peine forte et dure, (Law French for strong and hard punishment) was formerly a method of torture in the common law legal system, where the defendant who refused to plead would be subjected to having subsequently larger stones pressed upon the chest until a plea was entered, or as the... The breaking at the wheel) was a form of punishment used during the english civil war. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... Gibbet is a term applied to several different devices used in the capital punishment of criminals and/or the deterrence of potential criminals. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Demonym West Virginian Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area  Ranked 41st in the US  - Total 24,230 sq mi (62,755 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head), or beheading, is the removal of a living organisms head. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Currently lethal injection is the method used or allowed in 35 of the 36 states which allow the death penalty. Nebraska requires electrocution, although in 2008 the state supreme court ruled that this method is unconstitutional.^[36][37][38] Other states also allow electrocution, gas chambers, hanging and the firing squad. From 1976 to September 24, 2007 there were 1,098 executions, of which 928 were by lethal injection, 154 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 2 by firing squad.^[39] This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ... For other uses, see Gas chamber (disambiguation). ... This article is about death by hanging. ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

The federal death penalty allows any method of execution if the person was given a federal trial.

The use of lethal injection has almost become standard. From June 2000 to July 20, 2006, only 6 out of 387 executions have been by a different method. The last execution by any other method was the use of the electric chair on September 12, 2007 when Daryl Holton was executed in Tennessee. The last use of the gas chamber occurred on March 3, 1999 when Walter LaGrand was executed in Arizona,^[40] the last use of hanging was on 25 January 1996 when Delaware hanged Billy Bailey and the firing squad was also last used in 1996 when John Albert Taylor was shot in Utah on January 26. is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Daryl Keith Holton (ca. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... The LaGrand case was a contentious case in the International Court of Justice, Germany vs. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the U.S. State of Delaware. ... Billy Bailey (1947? - January 25, 1996) was a convicted murderer hanged in 1996. ... John Albert Taylor (born c. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The electric chair was the major method of execution during most of the 20th century. They developed a special nickname: Old Sparky (however, Alabama's electric chair became known as the "Yellow Mama" due to its unique color). Some, particularly in Florida, were noted for malfunctions, which caused discussion of their cruelty and resulted in a shift to lethal injection as the major method of execution. Although lethal injection dominates as a method of execution, some states allow an alternate method and a few states allow at least some death-row inmates to choose the method by which they will be executed. Old Sparky. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

Regardless of the method, an hour or two before the execution, the condemned person is offered religious services, and a last meal. Executions are carried out in private with only invited persons able to view the proceedings. The last meal is a traditional part of a condemned prisoners last day. ...

Ages of condemned prisoners

Executions in the United States from 1608 to 2004

Executions in the United States from 1930 to 2004

Total number of prisoners on Death Row in the United States from 1953 to 2003

Since 1642 (in the 13 colonies, the United States under the Articles of Confederation, and the current United States) an estimated 364 juvenile offenders have been put to death by states and the federal government. The first known juvenile to be executed was Thomas Graunger in 1642. Twenty-two of the executions occurred after 1976, in seven states. Due to the slow process of appeals, it was highly unusual for a condemned person to be under 18 at the time of execution. The youngest person to be executed in the 20th century was George Stinney, at the age of 14, in 1944. The last execution of a juvenile may have been Leonard Shockley, executed on April 10, 1959 at the age of 17. No one has been under age 19 at time of execution since at least 1964.^[41][42] Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, 22 people have been executed for crimes committed under the age of 18. 21 were 17 at the time of the crime; one, Sean Sellers, executed on February 4, 1999 in Oklahoma, was 16. The last person to be executed for a crime committed as a juvenile was Scott Allen Hain on April 3, 2003 in Oklahoma.^[43] Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Capital punishment in the United States ... Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Capital punishment in the United States ... Image File history File links Chart of the number of executions in the United States each each year from 1930 to 2004 Data from http://www. ... Image File history File links Chart of the number of executions in the United States each each year from 1930 to 2004 Data from http://www. ... Image File history File links Prisoners under death sentences in the United States. ... Image File history File links Prisoners under death sentences in the United States. ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, was the first governing document, or constitution, of the United States of America. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Thomas Granger. ... George Junius Stinney Jr. ... Leonard Shockley (born 1941 or 1942, died April 10, 1959) was the last juvenile executed in the United States. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sean Sellers (born May 18, 1969, died February 4, 1999) was the last person in the United States executed for a crime committed under the age of 17. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ...

Before 2005, of the 31 U.S. states that allow capital punishment:

• 19 states and the federal government had set a minimum age of 18,
• Five states had set a minimum age of 17, and
• 14 states had explicitly set a minimum age of 16, or were subject to the Supreme Court's imposition of that minimum.

16 was held to be the minimum permissible age in the 1988 Supreme Court of the United States decision of Thompson v. Oklahoma. The Supreme Court, considering the case Roper v. Simmons, in March 2005, found execution of juvenile offenders unconstitutional by a 5–4 margin, effectively raising the minimum permissible age to 18. State laws have not been updated to conform with this decision. Under the US system, unconstitutional laws do not need to be repealed, but are instead held to be unenforceable. (See also List of juvenile offenders executed in the United States) The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Holding The Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 16 when their crimes were committed. ... Holding The Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. ... This article is about law in society. ... This list of juvenile offenders executed in the United States consists of those people executed for criminal offenses in the United States which they committed while juveniles (before reaching the age of majority). ...

Distribution of sentences

Within the context of the overall murder rate, the death penalty cannot be said to be widely or routinely used in the United States; in recent years the average has been about one execution for about every 700 murders committed, or 1 execution for about every 325 murder convictions.

It is noted that the death penalty is sought and applied more often in some jurisdictions, not only between states but within states. A 2004 Cornell University study showed that while 2.5% of murderers convicted nationwide were sentenced to the death penalty, in Nevada 6% were given the death penalty. Texas gave 28% of murderers the death sentence, less than the national average. Texas, however, executed 40% of those sentenced, which was about four times higher than the national average. California had executed only 1% of those sentenced. Cornell redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Only 1.4% of those executed since 1976 have been women.

African Americans made up 41% of death row inmates while making up only 12% of the general population. (They have made up 34% of those actually executed since 1976.)^[44] Conversely, others note that this is lower than the 50% of the total prison population which was African American and that whites are in fact twice as likely as African Americans to receive the death penalty, and are also executed more quickly after sentencing.^[45] Academic studies indicate that the single greatest predictor of whether a death sentence is given, however, is not the race of the defendant, but the race of the victim. According to a 2003 Amnesty International report, blacks and whites were the victims of murder in almost equal numbers, yet 80% of the people executed since 1977 were convicted of murders involving white victims.^[46] An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience...

There are notable exceptions however, as half of the ten inmates on Connecticut's death row have been condemned for the murders of minorities and five of the 37 inmates executed in South Carolina were white men convicted of murdering African-Americans.

Public execution versus private execution

The last public execution in America was that of Rainey Bethea in Owensboro, Kentucky, on August 14, 1936. It was the last death sentence in the nation at which the general public was permitted to attend without any legally-imposed restrictions. "Public execution" is a legal phrase, defined by the laws of various states, and carried out pursuant to a court order. Similar to "public record" or "public meeting," it means that anyone who wants to attend the execution may do so. Rainey Bethea (October 16, 1909 – 14 August 1936) was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States. ... Owensboro is the third largest city in Kentucky and the county seat of Daviess County. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

About 1890, a political movement developed in the United States to mandate private executions. Several states enacted laws which required that the executions be conducted within a "wall" or "enclosure" to "exclude public view." (These are significant legal phrases.) For example, in 1919, the Missouri legislature adopted a statute (L.1919, p. 781) which required, "the sentence of death should be executed within the county jail, if convenient, and otherwise within an enclosure near the jail." The Missouri law permitted the local sheriff to distribute passes to individuals (usually local citizens) whom he believed should witness the hanging, but the sheriffs—for various reasons—sometimes denied passes to individuals who wanted to watch. Missouri executions conducted after 1919 were not "public" because they were conducted behind closed walls, and the general public was not permitted to attend.

Present-day statutes from across the nation utilize the same words and phrases, requiring modern executions to take place within a wall or enclosure to exclude public view. Connecticut (CGSA 54-100) requires death sentences to be conducted in an "enclosure" which "shall be so constructed as to exclude public view." Kentucky (KRS 431.220) and Missouri (VAMS 546.730) statutes contain substantially identical language. New Mexico's statute (NMSA 31-14-12) requires executions be conducted in a "room or place enclosed from public view." Massachusetts (MGLA. 279 § 60) requires executions to take place "within an enclosure or building." North Carolina (NCGSA § 15-188) requires death sentences to be executed "within the walls" of the penitentiary, as do Oklahoma (22 Okl.St.Ann. § 1015) and Montana (MCA 46-19-103). Ohio (RC § 2949.22) requires, "The enclosure shall exclude public view." Similarly, Tennessee (TCA § 40-23-116) requires "an enclosure" for "strict seclusion and privacy." Federal law (18 U.S.C.A. § 3596 and 28 CFR 26.3) specifically limits the witnesses to be present at an execution..

Today, there are always witnesses to executions--sometimes numerous witnesses, but it is the law, not the number of witnesses present, which determines whether the execution is "public."

All of the executions which have taken place since the 1936 hanging of Bethea in Owensboro have been conducted within a wall or enclosure. For example, Fred Adams was legally hanged in Kennett, Missouri, on April 2, 1937, within a 10-foot (3 m) wooden stockade. Roscoe "Red" Jackson was hanged within a stockade in Galena, Missouri, on May 26, 1937. Two Kentucky hangings were conducted after Galena in which numerous persons were present within a wooden stockade, that of John "Peter" Montjoy in Covington, Kentucky on December 17, 1937, and that of Harold Van Venison in Covington on June 3, 1938. An estimated 400 witnesses were present for the hanging of Lee Simpson in Ryegate, Montana, on December 30, 1939. The execution of Timothy McVeigh on June 11, 2001, was witnessed by some 300 people (some by closed circuit television), so some might call it a "public execution," even though federal law does not permit public executions. See 18 U.S.C.A. § 3596 and the federal administrative regulation implementing it, 28 CFR § 26.4. A “public execution” means that all the public has access. is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Galena is a city located in Stone County, Missouri. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Downtown Covington has many wooded streets and historic buildings Covington is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ryegate is a town located in Golden Valley County, Montana. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... McVeigh redirects here. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Clemency and commutations

The largest number of clemencies was granted January 2003 in Illinois, when outgoing Governor George Ryan, who had already imposed a moratorium on executions, pardoned four death-row inmates and commuted the sentences of the remaining 168 to life imprisonment. This article is about the U.S. State. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... George Ryan George Homer Ryan (born February 24, 1934 in Maquoketa, Iowa) was the Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. ...

Previous post-Furman massive clemencies took place in 1986 in New Mexico, when Governor Toney Anaya commuted all death sentences because of his personal opposition to the death penalty. In 1991 outgoing Ohio Governor Dick Celeste commuted the sentences of eight prisoners. And during his two terms (1979-1987) as Florida Governor, Bob Graham, although a strong death penalty supporter who had overseen the first post-Furman involuntary execution as well as 15 others, agreed to commute the sentences of six people on grounds of "possible innocence" or "disproportionality." Official language(s) None Spoken language(s) English 68. ... Toney Anaya (born April 29, 1941), served as Governor of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Richard Frank Dick Celeste (born November 11, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American politician from Ohio, and a member of the Democratic Party. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Daniel Robert Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician. ...

Controversy over use of death penalty

Main article: Capital punishment debate

Various groups oppose or support capital punishment. Amnesty International and some religions oppose capital punishment on moral grounds, while the Innocence Project works to free wrongly convicted prisoners, including death row inmates, based on newly available DNA tests. Other groups, such as the Southern Baptists, law enforcement, and some victims' rights groups support capital punishment. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is often the subject of controversy. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... The Innocence Project refers to a number of non-profit legal clinics in the United States. ... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings...

Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of the American public supports the death penalty. A May 2005 Gallup poll had 74% of respondees in "favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder". In the same Gallup poll, when life imprisonment without parole was given as an option as a punishment for murder, 56% supported the death penalty and 39% supported life imprisonment, with 5% offering no opinion.^[47] Elections have sometimes turned on the issue; in 1986, three justices were removed from the Supreme Court of California by the electorate (including Chief Justice Rose Bird) specifically because of their opposition to the death penalty. Justices of the Supreme Court of California (circa May 2005). ... Rose Elizabeth Bird (November 2, 1936–December 4, 1999) served for 10 years as the 25th Chief Justice (and first female Chief Justice)of the California Supreme Court until removed from that office by the voters. ...

Religious groups are widely split on the issue of capital punishment,^[48] generally with more conservative groups more likely to support it and more liberal groups more likely to oppose it.

The debate over the death penalty centers around four issues: whether it is morally correct to kill; whether the death penalty serves as a deterrent; whether the penalty is being applied fairly across racial, social, and economic classes; and whether the irrevocability of the penalty is justified considering possible new evidence or future revelations of improper conduct by the state. It is also claimed that the financial costs of a complete death penalty case exceed the total costs of a lifetime of incarceration.^[49] Between 1976 and 2003, less than 2% of death row prisoners were exonerated, while others had their sentences reduced for other reasons. This amounted to 112 prisoners released.

Suicide on death row

The suicide rate of death row inmates was found by Lester and Tartaro to be 113 per 100,000 for the period 1976–1999. This is about ten times the rate of suicide in the United States as a whole and about six times the rate of suicide in the general U.S. prison population.^[50]

Moratoria

Since the death penalty was reinstated in Illinois in 1977, 12 men have been executed. During that same period, 13 men were freed from death row.^[51] This finding prompted the outgoing governor of Illinois, Republican George H. Ryan, who had previously ordered a moratorium on executions by the state, to commute all death penalties in his state in January 2003.^[52] When Democrat Rod Blagojevich was elected governor in 2002, one of his first acts was an attempt to revoke some of Ryan's commutations.^[53] GOP redirects here. ... George Homer Ryan (born February 24, 1934 in Maquoketa, Iowa) was the Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Milorad Blagojevich, commonly known as Rod R. Blagojevich (pronounced  , born December 10, 1956) is an American politician from the state of Illinois. ...

In addition to Ryan's moratorium, Governor Parris N. Glendening (D) halted executions in the state of Maryland by executive order on May 9, 2002, but the subsequent governor, Robert Ehrlich (R), resumed executions in 2004. However, on December 19, 2006, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that state executions would be suspended until the manual that spells out the protocol for lethal injections is reviewed by a legislative panel. The state's Department of Corrections had adopted the manual without having a public hearing or submitting it before a committee. Legislative review of the protocol is required before approval under state law. Parris Nelson Glendening (born June 11, 1942), a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 59th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1995 to 2003. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... The presidential seal was used by Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For the entrepreneur and businessman, see Robert Ehrlich. ... The seven judges of the Maryland Court of Appeals in their crimson robes. ...

In December 2005, the New Jersey State Senate passed a one-year moratorium on executions by the state.^[54] The measure was passed by the legislature on January 10, 2006. Governor Richard J. Codey signed the measure into law on January 12.^[55] New Jersey is the first state to pass such a moratorium legislatively, rather than by executive order. Although New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982, the state has not executed anyone since 1963. On December 17, 2007, with the signing of an abolition bill by Governor Jon Corzine, New Jersey became the 14th state without a death penalty at a time when its use is declining in most of the 36 states -- plus the federal government and U.S. military -- that retain it, but the first state to abolish it by legislative action rather than by judicial decision. As a result, all eight inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life in prison. This was upsetting to some, as the list included Jesse Timmendequas, whose rape and murder of his 7-year-old neighbor, Megan Kanka, led to the creation of Megan's Law, and many awaited his execution^[56]. is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Richard Codey, Acting Governor of New Jersey Richard James Codey (born November 27, 1946) is an American Democratic politician from West Orange, New Jersey currently serving as Acting Governor of that state since the resignation of Governor James McGreevey, due to a sex scandal, took effect on November 15, 2004. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jon Stevens Corzine (born January 1, 1947) is the Governor of New Jersey. ... Jesse Timmendequas (born April 15, 1961) was, on May 30, 1997, convicted of murdering his neighbor, seven-year-old Megan Kanka, in 1994. ... Megans Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. ...

In New York, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that the state's death penalty statute was unconstitutional in June of 2004, in the case of People v. LaValle. This article is about the state. ... The Court of Appeals is New Yorks highest appellate court, created in 1847, replacing the Court for the Trial of Impeachments and the Correction of Errors. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into constitutionality. ... Holding The current statute of capital punishment in the state of New York was declared unconstitutional as it violated article one, section six of the state constitution. ...

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush suspended all executions on December 15, 2006 after a botched execution required a second injection of the lethal chemicals. The moratorium was lifted on July 18, 2007 by Governor Charlie Crist,^[57] and on November 1, 2007, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld the state's lethal injection procedures.^[58] This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... List of Governors of Florida: Florida Governors Military Government Territorial Government Statehood Categories: Lists of United States governors | Governors of Florida | Government of Florida ... John Ellis Jeb Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician, and was the 43rd Governor of Florida. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Charles Joseph Charlie Crist, Jr. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Florida Supreme Court is the highest court in the State of Florida. ...

In North Carolina, a de facto moratorium is in place following a decision by the state's medical board that physicians cannot participate in executions, which is a requirement under state and federal law. Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th in the US  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (340 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ...

In California, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in the state of California on December 15, 2006, ruling that the implementation used in California was unconstitutional but that it could be fixed.^[59] This article is about the U.S. state. ... A federal judge is a judge appointed in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Missouri, U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City suspended the state's death penalty on June 26, 2006, after lengthy hearings on the matter. Judge Gaitan reasoned that the state's lethal injection protocol did not satisfy the Eighth Amendment because (1) the written procedures for implementing lethal injections were too vague, and (2) the state had no qualified anesthesiologist to perform lethal injections. Jay Nixon, the Missouri Attorney General, promptly appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis. On June 4, 2007, a panel of the Eighth Circuit reversed the District Court's decision. The death row inmate in question, Michael Taylor, will seek an en banc hearing before the entire Eighth Circuit and, failing that, will seek a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States.^[60] The Eighth Circuit case is number 06-3651, Taylor v. Crawford. This article is about the U.S. state. ... A federal judge is a judge appointed in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution. ... The U.S. Courts for the Western District of Missouri encompass 66 counties in the western half of Missouri. ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa District of Minnesota Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri District of Nebraska District of... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... En banc or in bank is a term used to refer to the hearing of a case by all the judges of a court. ... In English Law certiorari (Latin, to inform) is a public law relief (i. ...

In Nebraska, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled, on February 8, 2008, that the use of the electric chair is unconstitutional — specifically, that its use conflicts with the Nebraska state constitution. As electrocution is the sole legally-authorized method of execution in Nebraska, the state has what technically amounts to no legally-authorized death penalty at this time.^[61] For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ...

Since the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case Baze v. Rees many states have slowed or halted executions as lawyers for death-row prisoners have argued that states should not carry out death sentences using a method that may be ruled unconstitutional. While executions have come to an apparent stop until Baze is examined by the court, this was not the intent, according to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who stated on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 that stopping all executions by that method wasn't the high court's intention when it agreed to hear Baze v. Rees. Just because the justices agreed to take on the case, Scalia said, doesn't necessarily mean that a moratorium should ensue.^[62] The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Baze v. ...   (born March 11, 1936[1]) is an American jurist and the second most senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

On April 16, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Baze that the current method of execution by lethal injection, by use of a three-drug 'cocktail', is constitutionally permissible even though an alternative method such as a massive overdose of some other drug could be used and might be less painful or less uncomfortable for the condemned. As a result of the court's decision, some states that had instituted stays or moratoria have announced a resumption of the practice. is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• More detailed information on capital punishment by the federal government in Capital punishment by the United States federal government.
• More detailed information on capital punishment in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin
• Lists of individuals executed in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.
• List of exonerated death row inmates
• Thought of Thomas Aquinas

Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Arkansas. ... Executions in California are carried out at the San Quentin State Prison. ... Connecticut is currently one of only two states of New England where capital punishment is legal. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of judicial punishment in the U.S. state of Maryland. ... Capital punishment is illegal in the U.S. State of Michigan for many years. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Nebraska. ... A hanging that took place in Nevada. ... Capital punishment in the U.S. state of New Hampshire is a legal form of punishment for the crime of capital murder. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Oregon. ... Capital punishment has been used in the U.S. state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Utah. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of Washington. ... The following individuals have been executed by the State of Alabama at the Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore since 1943. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Arkansas. ... A total of 22 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Arizona since 1976: Donald Jay Miller, d. ... Executions in California are carried out at the San Quentin State Prison. ... Only one individual has been executed in the state of Colorado since 1976: Gary Lee Davis, d. ... Connecticut has not executed anyone since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed executions to resume in 1976. ... A total of 13 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Delaware since 1976: Abdullah Tanzil Hameen (a. ... A total of 60 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Florida since 1976: See also Capital punishment in the United States Categories: Lists of people who were executed | People from Florida ... Only one individual has been executed in the state of Idaho since 1976: Keith Wells, d. ... A total of 12 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Illinois since 1976. ... A total of 15 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Indiana since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1977. ... No one has been executed by the state of Kansas since 1976, although capital punishment is legal there. ... Since the reinstation of capital punishment in the United States in 1976, two people have been executed in Kentucky. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of judicial punishment in the U.S. state of Maryland. ... The state of Michigan in the United States has never used capital punishment; however, previous political institutions and the federal government have executed people in the territory of the modern state. ... A total of 6 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Mississippi since 1976: Jimmy Lee Gray, d. ... A total of 64 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Missouri since 1976. ... A total of 2 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Montana since 1976: Duncan McKenzie, d. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Nebraska. ... A hanging that took place in Nevada. ... Capital punishment in the U.S. state of New Hampshire is a legal form of punishment for the crime of capital murder. ... No one has ever been executed by the state of New Jersey since 1976, although capital punishment is still legal there. ... Only one individual has been executed in the state of New Mexico since 1976: Terry D. Clark, d. ... Albert Fish - executed on January 16, 1936 in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison. ... There have been 40 executions in North Carolina, under the current statute, since it was adopted in 1977. ... Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... A total of 75 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Oklahoma since 1976: Charles Coleman, d. ... A total of 2 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Oregon since 1976: Douglas Wright, d. ... A total of 3 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Pennsylvania since 1976: Gary M. Heidnik, d. ... There have been 34 executions in South Carolina since 1985. ... Between 1877 and 1915, 12 individuals were executed in South Dakota. ... One individual has been executed in the state of Tennessee, USA since 1976. ... A total of 398 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Texas since 1982. ... A total of 6 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Utah since 1976. ... A total of 98 individuals have been executed by the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1976. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of Washington. ... Four persons were executed in Wyoming prior to its statehood in 1890. ... This list contains names of people who were found guilty of capital crimes and placed on death row who were later found to be wrongly convicted. ...

External links

Anti-death penalty

• National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
• Death Penalty Information Center
• New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
• Texas Moratorium Network
• The Innocence Project
• Truth in Justice
• Amnesty International USA campaign to abolish the death penalty
• Campaign to end the Death Penalty
• Against the Death Penalty — Religious Organization
• Death Penalty Focus
• Fight the death penalty
• Anti-Death Penalty Information: includes a monthly watchlist of upcoming executions and death penalty statistics for the United States.
• New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: includes information on the current moratorium, the bill to replace the death penalty with "life without the possibility of parole" and general information on the death penalty.
• Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty
• LifeLines
• Execution by America - A satirical flash animation regarding the execution in the United States.
• D.R.I.V.E Movement- Anti Death penalty group inside Texas Death Row against the death penalty and for humane prisoner treatment.
• Montana Abolition Coalition
• Stephen Bright and the Southern Center for Human Rights
• Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty

An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Biographies. ...

Pro-death penalty

• Pro Death Penalty.com
• Pro Death Penalty Resource Page - Wesley Lowe
• Clark County, IN Prosecutor's Page on capital punishment.
• In Favor of Capital Punishment - Quotes supporting Capital Punishment by Saqib Ali
• No Racial Bias Found - CNN Law Center archives
• The Ultimate Punishment - A professor defends the death penalty
• Is man a moral agent? - Ethics of capital punishment
• A defense of the death penalty
• Death Penalty Information - News, arguments and links
• Criminal Justice Legal Foundation Articles on the death penalty, and deterrence

More information

• About.com's Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty and Capital Punishment (Liberal Viewpoint)
• Last Meals on Death Row
• The documentary Procedure 769, witness to an execution DocsOnline focuses on the people who witness an execution, specifically that of Robert Alton Harris who murdered two boys in 1978.

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Holding Because a death row prisoners Eighth Amendment challenge to the method of execution was not a habeas corpus petition, but instead stated a claim under 42 U.S.C. §1983, his claim could not be barred by his previously filed petition for habeas relief. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Separation of powers is a term coined by French political Enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu[1][2], is a model for the governance of democratic states. ... In law, an appeal is a process for making a formal challenge to an official decision. ... Holding Post-conviction DNA forensic evidence can be considered in death penalty appeals. ... For the news website, see msnbc. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Banner, Stuart (2002). The Death Penalty: An American History. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-00751-4.
• Delfino, Michelangelo and Day, Mary E. (2008). Death Penalty USA: 2005 - 2006. MoBeta Publishing, Tampa, Florida. ISBN 978-0972514125.
• Dow, David R., Dow, Mark (eds.) (2002). Machinery of Death. The Reality of America's Death Penalty Regime. Routledge, New York. ISBN 0-415-93266-1 (cloth), ISBN 0-415-93267-X (paperback)
  (this book provides critical perspectives on the death penalty; it contains a foreword by Christopher Hitchens)
• Megivern, James J., The Death Penalty: An Historical and Theological Survey. Paulist Press, New York. ISBN 0-8091-0487-3
• Prejean, Helen (1993). Dead Man Walking. Random House. ISBN 0-679-75131-9 (paperback)
  (Describes the case of death convict Patrick Sonnier, while also giving a general overview of issues connected to the Death Penalty.)

Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British-American author, journalist and literary critic. ... Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ (b. ... // Dead Man Walking is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. ... Elmo Patrick Sonnier (February 21, 1951 - April 5, 1984) was a convicted murderer and rapist who was executed by electrocution at Angola Penitentiary in Louisiana on April 5, 1984. ...

External links

• Death Penalty Walking, TIME