The Department of Justice released a report proposing the reinstatement and expansion of controversial federal execution methods, including firing squad, electrocution and lethal injection, despite their documented problems and questionable constitutionality.
John Wood, a death row prisoner in South Carolina, was ruled not competent for execution due to severe schizophrenia, temporarily halting the state from issuing a death warrant against him.
The Death Penalty Information Center released a report showing a continuing decline in the use of the death penalty for people ages 18-20 at the time of their offenses, highlighting shifting legal and societal views on youth and culpability.
Charles Maxwell, a person on death row convicted of murdering his child’s mother, had his death sentence overturned under Ohio’s serious mental illness law after a mental evaluation which concluded that he suffered from delusional disorder due to traumatic brain injuries.
The Death Penalty Information Center released data showing that death sentences and executions for individuals aged 18-20 at the time of their crimes continued a decades-long downward trend in 2025, with only one person in this age group sentenced to death and three executed, down from five in 2024.
A new Idaho law exempts execution procedures from judicial review and public scrutiny, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the death penalty system.
Studies summarized by the Death Penalty Information Center indicate that the race of a victim plays an important role in death penalty sentencing outcomes, with cases involving white victims more likely to result in capital charges and death sentences than cases involving nonwhite victims.
The Death Penalty Information Center’s “What to Know” report concludes that decades of research have failed to produce credible evidence that the death penalty reduces homicide rates.
The practice of “death qualification” allows prosecutors to dismiss potential jurors who oppose the death penalty, raising concerns about fairness, racial exclusion and the integrity of capital juries.
Federal Judge Margaret M. Garnett has dismissed two counts of Luigi Mangione’s federal indictment, ruling that prosecutors cannot pursue a potential death sentence in the case tied to the killing of Brian Thompson, as the crime did not meet the criteria for a federal death penalty.
Indiana lawmakers are reconsidering the use of the firing squad as an alternative to lethal injection, amid concerns over cost, fairness and the risk of executing innocent people.
California has not executed anyone since 2006 and advocates are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to grant clemency to all those sentenced to death, citing racial bias, innocence claims, and the high costs of capital punishment.
Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, accounting for 40% of all executions nationwide, making the state the single driving force behind the increase, with the average age of those executed being 60 and many showing signs of serious mental illness, brain damage or severe childhood trauma.
Ralph Menzies, convicted of murder in 1986, has been deemed incompetent for execution due to his advanced dementia, raising constitutional concerns about the planned execution and prompting a competency hearing in December 2025.
Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman expressed regret for not commuting death sentences during his time in office, while warning that Florida’s current execution process is plagued by secrecy and racial bias.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is seeking a first-degree murder charge against Richard Glossip despite previously agreeing to release him from prison after two decades on death row.
The US has carried out 25 executions this year, with 60% concentrated in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina, while new death sentences have dropped to near historic lows, reflecting a disconnect between political decisions and public sentiment.
The Death Penalty Information Center report reveals a disturbing pattern of prosecutorial misconduct in the death penalty system, resulting in individuals sentenced to death multiple times for the same crime, often due to racial bias and other constitutional violations, and costing millions of taxpayer dollars.
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