The Death Penalty Becomes Illegal in Washington State
After hearing the last appeal from a man on death row, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the death penalty, as applied in the state, is unconstitutional.
capital punishment
The Death Penalty in America: A Lethal History
In colonial Virginia, authorities could hang settlers for a crime as small as stealing grapes or killing a neighbor's chicken. The penal code in America's first colony was, in fact, so harsh its governor eventually reduced the number of capital offenses out of fear that settlers would refuse to live there. Since then, the number and severity of crimes punishable by death in the United States have fluctuated; today, the death penalty is still legal in 31 states. Here are some of the critical turning points in the history of capital punishment in America.
Lawyers for Missouri Man Scheduled to Die Say DNA Evidence Proves His Innocence
Marcellus Williams maintains his innocence, and his supporters argue racial discrimination also played a role in his trial outcome.
Another Reason to Oppose the Death Penalty
New research finds a convict is more likely to be sentenced to death if he has an untrustworthy face.
Justice Alito Defends the Lethal Injection Expert Who Did His Research on Drugs.com
The expert ended up prompting a back-and-forth between Supreme Court justices, who narrowly upheld use of a lethal injection drug.
The Modern Arguments Against the Death Penalty
Today's Supreme Court ruling on a lethal injection drug represents a confluence of several modern challenges to capital punishment.
Why a Key Expert in the Supreme Court's Lethal Injection Case Did Most of His Research on Drugs.com
It’s becoming nearly impossible to find experts to defend the practice.
Both Parties Are Over the Death Penalty
Years of polling show that Democrats and Republicans are increasingly turning away from the death penalty.
The Psychology of the Executioner
A look inside the minds of those who have participated in firing squads and lethal injections.
Lethal Rejection: Will the Supreme Court's Lethal Injection Review Kill the Death Penalty?
The Supreme Court is reviewing lethal injection for the first time in seven years. Here’s what it means for the death penalty.
The Slow Demise of Capital Punishment
How technicalities, not morals, are bringing down the death penalty.
The Value of Taping Interrogations
A report advocating death penalty reforms finds that false confessions in capital cases can be limited by recording the questioning of suspects.
Are Death Row Inmates Innocent If They Refuse a Last Meal?
A new study finds that prisoners who deny their guilt are more likely to hold out on eating before execution.