Executions since 1976, by State
State Executions
since 1976

(as of 14 Jan 2004)[1]
Inmates on Death Row
(as of 1 Oct 2003)[1]

Texas315451
Virginia8927
Oklahoma70105
Missouri6167
Florida57381
Georgia34116
North Carolina31207
South Carolina2874
Alabama28194
Louisiana2792
Arkansas2640
Arizona22126
Delaware1321
Illinois128
Indiana1139
California10632
Nevada989
Ohio9209
Mississippi669
Utah611
Washington411
Pennsylvania3241
U.S. Federal Gov't326
Maryland314
Nebraska37
Kentucky238
Oregon231
Montana25
Tennessee1104
Idaho121
Colorado16
New Mexico12
Wyoming11
New Jersey015
Connecticut07
Kansas07
U.S. Military07
New York06
South Dakota04
New Hampshire00
United States
total
8913,504

no death penalty statute - Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Capital punishment is currently practiced in some states and by the federal government in the United States. Each state using the death penalty has different laws regarding its methods, age limits, and crimes which qualify. There were 65 executions in 2003.

Capital punishment is a highly charged issue with many groups and prominent individuals participating in the debate. Arguments for and against it are based on practical, moral and emotional approaches.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Crimes subject to death penalty
3 Methods
4 Age limits
5 Distribution of sentences
6 Controversy over use of death penalty
7 Related articles
8 External links
9 Bibliography

History

The most comprehensive source (the Espy file) lists less than 15,000 people executed in United States or its predecessors between 1608 and 1991.[1] China executed more than this number just in the 1990s. 4661 executions occurred in the U.S. in the period 1930-2002 with about 2/3 of the executions occurring in the first twenty years.[1] Additionally the U.S. Army executed 160 soldiers between 1930 and 1967. The last U.S. Navy execution was in 1849.

Capital punishment was suspended in the USA between 1967 and 1976 as a result of several decisions of the United States Supreme Court, including such cases as Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972)*, Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325 (1976), 431 U.S. 633 (1977)* and Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976)*. In these cases, the court usually found the application of the death penalty to be unconstitutional, usually on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution.

In Furman v. Georgia, the United States Supreme Court suggested that it was unconstitutional for a governmental entity to convict a defendant of a crime and sentence the defendant in the same proceeding. In 1976, when states began to bifurcate the trial and sentencing phases of criminal trials the Court upheld the new procedure. Since 1976, 885 people have been executed, mainly by the states. Texas has accounted for over a third of modern executions; the federal government has executed only 3 people in the last 27 years.

Crimes subject to death penalty

Crimes subject to the death penalty vary by jurisdiction. All jurisdictions have murder as a crime subject to capital punishment although many jurisdiction require additional aggravating factors. Treason is a capital offense in several jurisdictions. Other capital crimes include: Aggravated kidnapping in Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and South Carolina; train wrecking and perjury which leds to someone being executed in California; aircraft hijacking in Georgia and Mississippi; aggravated rape of victim under age 12 in Louisiana; capital sexual battery in Florida; and capital narcotics conspiracy in Florida and New Jersey. Federal death penalty crimes are various degrees and types of murder as well as treason, espionage, large scale drug trafficking, and attempting to kill any officer, juror,or witness in cases involving a Continuing Criminal Enterprise. There are 15 crimes subject to the death penalty under U.S. military law; however, many of them, such as desertion, are only applicable in times of war.

Methods

Various methods have been used in the history of the American colonies and the United States but only 5 methods are currently used. Historically, burning, pressing, gibbeting or hanging in chains, breaking on wheel and bludgeoning were used for a small number of executions while hanging was the most common method. Curently lethal injection is the method used or allowed in 37 of the 38 states which allow the death penalty and by the federal government. Nebraska requires electrocution. Other states also allow electrocution, gas chambers, hanging and the firing squad.

From 1976-2003, 718 of 885 execution have been by lethal injection, 151 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 2 by firing squad.

Age limits

Only seven countries practice the death penalty for juveniles, that is criminals aged under 18 at the time of their crime. Nearly all actual executions for juvenile crime take place in the USA, although, due to the slow process of appeals, no one has been under age 19 at time of execution since at least 1964.[1] [1] The last juvenile execution may have been 17 year old Leonard Shockey executed on April 10, 1959. In the United States and ancestor bodies politic since 1642, an estimated 364 juvenile offenders have been put to death by states and the federal government. Since 1988, the death penalty cannot be applied to criminals under age 16 and higher ages are legislated in many states.

Since 1976, 22 people have been executed for crimes commited as juveniles. These executions occurred in only 7 states. As of 2003, 17 of the 38 states that allow capital punishment and the federal government do not allow it for juveniles. 5 states require the criminal to be at least 17 at the time of the crime. 16 states have the federally required age of 16 as a minimum.

Distribution of sentences

It is noted that the death penalty is sought and applied more often in some jurisdictions, not only between states but within states.

Roughly one percent of those executed since 1976 have been women.

Critics note that African Americans make up 42% of death row inmates while making up only 12% of the general population. (They have made up 34% of those actually executed since 1976.) Others note that this is lower than the 50% of the total prison population which is African American and that whites are twice as likely as African Americans to receive the death penalty and are executed sooner after sentencing.[1]

Controversy over use of death penalty

Various groups oppose or support the use of capital punishment. Groups like Amnesty International and the Roman Catholic Church oppose capital punishment on moral grounds while the Innocence Project work to free prisoners including death row inmates based on newly available DNA tests. Other groups such as the Southern Baptists, law enforcement and some vitims rights groups. Opinion polls consistently show a majority of the public support the death penalty.

Religious groups are widly split on the issue of capital punishment[1] with in general more conservative groups more likely to support it and more liberal groups likely to oppose it.

Related articles

External links

Bibliography