New Protections for Young Adults: State Courts Extend Life without Parole Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) has issued a report on the U.S. Supreme Court…
Expert: 37 US Executions Scheduled in 2025, 12 Carried Out So Far
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Death penalty expert Robert Dunham has shared a new update on the state of…
Veteran Attorney Claims Pennsylvania’s Death Penalty System Is Unjust Due to Inequities
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Veteran attorney Jules M. Epstein, in an essay that’s part of a White Paper…
Randy Poindexter’s Solitary Confinement Exposes the Harsh Realities of Death Row
CHARLESTON, S.C. – In Death Penalty News this month, Randy Poindexter describes his experience with solitary confinement…
Global Executions Rose 32% in 2024, Exposing Flaws in Death Penalty Systems
NEW YORK, NY – A 32 percent increase in global executions has exposed fundamental flaws in criminal…
Tennessee Death Row Men Request Execution Halt Pending Lethal Injection Review
Attorneys for Tennessee death row men Oscar Smith and Byron Black are calling on Governor Bill Lee to issue a temporary halt on executions until March 2026, when a trial on the constitutionality of the state’s new lethal injection protocol is set to begin, due to concerns about the new protocol’s lack of safeguards.
Critics Condemn Florida Execution of Michael Tanzi, a Man with a Troubled Past
Michael Tanzi, a man who suffered from severe childhood abuse and mental illness, was executed for the 2000 murder of Janet Acosta, with critics arguing that the death penalty is a form of vengeance rather than justice.
California Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence in Gang Murder Case Due to Improper Juror Removal
In a rare ruling with broad implications for jury deliberations and the death penalty in California, the…
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Death Row Appeal, Leaving Missouri Man without Recourse
In a sharply divided decision with significant implications for due process and the right to appeal, the…
My View: The Machinery of Death Still Turns Despite Former Justice Breyer’s Prophetic Warning in Glossip
In February 2025, the United States Supreme Court did something rare: it vacated the conviction of Richard…
Public Defenders Slam DA’s Death Penalty Decision While Hochman Tries to Burnish Reform Credentials
LOS ANGELES – A growing rift between Los Angeles County’s public defenders and the District Attorney’s Office…
Mass Shooter of Deadliest Hispanic-Targeted Shooting Will Not Face Death Penalty
EL PASO, TX – Patrick Crusius killed or wounded 55 people in a Walmart mass shooting that…
Commentary: Hochman Punts on Responsibility as He Revives the Death Penalty in LA
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman wants us to believe that his decision to resume seeking…
LA County DA Nathan Hochman Moves to Revive Death Penalty, Reversing Progressive Reforms
LOS ANGELES — In a reversal of Los Angeles County’s stance on capital punishment, recently elected District…
Jessie Hoffman Executed after Last-Minute Legal Battle; Other Executions Loom This Week
March 18, 2025 — Louisiana carried out its first execution in 15 years Tuesday night, executing Jessie…
Louisiana Death Row Prisoner Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Halt Execution over Religious Freedom and Cruelty Concerns
Washington, D.C. — Attorneys for death row prisoner Jessie Hoffman filed an emergency request with the U.S….
Tennessee Death Row Prisoners Challenge State’s New Lethal Injection Protocol over Risk of Torturous Executions
NASHVILLE, TN – Nine men on death row in Tennessee have filed a legal challenge against the…
Republican Pennsylvania Legislator Introduces Bill to Abolish Death Penalty
LEBANON, PA — The debate over the death penalty has intensified in Pennsylvania, with House Bill 888…
Twenty Years after Roper v. Simmons, Experts Question the Culpability of Emerging Adults
Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons that sentencing individuals under 18 to…
Former Chair of OK Board of Pardons and Parole Condemns Death Penalty, Backs Bill to End It
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Adam Luck, the former Chair of Oklahoma’s Board of Pardons and Parole and…