Capital punishment in the United States
     Capital punishment
     * Religion and capital punishment
   ^†: Capital punishment has not been used in the last 10 years or has a
     * Death penalty (NCAA)
   Capital punishment (also called the death penalty) in the United States
   Capital punishment was a penalty for many felonies under English common
   capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, Texas has performed the most
   Over the past 20 years, the death penalty has slowly declined in
   the death penalty.
          + 1.1 States without capital punishment
          + 1.4 Capital punishment resumed
States without capital punishment[edit]
   Several states have never had capital punishment, the first being
   The two newest states, Alaska and Hawaii, abolished the death penalty
   A map showing the use of capital punishment in the US.
     State uses death penalty
     State doesn’t use death penalty
   Other states with long histories of no death penalty include Wisconsin
   has also abolished the death penalty; it was last used in 1957. Oregon
   abolished the death penalty through an overwhelming majority in a 1964
   not have an enforceable death penalty statute (the year it was
    1. In these states, the death penalty is enforceable for offenses
    2. Death penalty statute struck down by court ruling.
    3. Vermont retains capital punishment for treason.
   issues, but the death penalty was not ruled unconstitutional.^[19]
   regular jail cells.^[20] In Maryland, the repeal of the death penalty
   penalty in the so-called "modern era of capital punishment" (that is,
   struck down and did not reinstate the death penalty.
   In 2007, New Jersey became the first state to repeal the death penalty
   in the modern system of capital punishment,^[21] followed by New Mexico
   York and Massachusetts attempts to restore the death penalty were
   death penalty statute unconstitutional, to the U.S. Supreme Court – and
   abolished the death penalty temporarily, in 1860.^[35] Nebraska has
   (20 to 16) that would abolish the death penalty for future crimes. The
   On February 21, 2013, a bill to repeal capital punishment in Maryland
   The only jurisdictions with current death penalty statutes that have
   abolished the death penalty.
   The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has no death penalty. Puerto Rico
   instituted a four-year moratorium on the death penalty in 1917. The
   abolished the death penalty in 1929.^[38]
   Puerto Rico's constitution expressly forbids capital punishment,
   stating "The death penalty shall not exist", setting it apart from all
   Columbia have abolished capital punishment through statutory law).
   However, capital punishment is still applicable to offenses committed
   government, though federal death penalty prosecutions there have
   Capital punishment was suspended in the United States from 1972 through
   death penalty was being imposed in an unconstitutional manner, on the
   never ruled the death penalty to be per se unconstitutional.
   under Georgia's death penalty statute, which featured a "unitary trial"
   of a constitutional death penalty law. Stewart and William O. Douglas
   death penalty. Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan, Jr. expressed
   the opinion that the death penalty was proscribed absolutely by the
   death penalty statutes which attempted to address the concerns of White
   that of a police officer) with a mandatory death penalty.
Capital punishment resumed[edit]
   convicted of first-degree murder, the death penalty will not be
   CAPTION: Capital punishment since 1976
   No current death penalty statute: Alaska, Connecticut^[nb 5], Hawaii,
    3. ^ "Quinn signs death penalty ban, commutes 15 death row sentences
    5. ^ "Connecticut governor signs death penalty repeal". Associated
       abolish death penalty". Yahoo! News. Reuters. Archived from the
    7. ^ Baker, Deborah (3 March 2009). "New Mexico Bans Death Penalty".
    8. ^ Massachusetts' death penalty statute was ruled unconstitutional
    9. ^ New York's death penalty statute was ruled unconstitutional on
   The 1977 Coker v. Georgia decision barred the death penalty for rape,
   because the death penalty applies if the victim dies in the
   the federal government retains the death penalty for such non-murder
   restrictions on the use of the death penalty. First, the Supreme Court
   New Mexico repealed its death penalty statute on March 17, 2009,
   pre-existing death penalty statute.^[42] Connecticut abolished its
   death penalty on April 25, 2012. Like New Mexico, the repeal is not
   death penalty was vetoed by former governor M. Jodi Rell in June 2009
   Dan Malloy indicated he would sign a bill abolishing the death penalty
   embodied in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996,
   the pace of executions has picked up. Since the death penalty was
   Argument for Greater Transparency in Death Penalty Decisions," surveyed
   authors found that prosecutors' capital punishment filing decisions
   premeditated murders potential capital cases. The 37 death penalty
   protocol.^[45] Crimes subject to the death penalty vary by
   jurisdiction. All jurisdictions that use capital punishment designate
   against Louisiana's death penalty for child rapists, saying "there is a
   further, ruling out the death penalty for any crime against an
   capital punishment who has not been convicted of murder. Demarcus Sears
   Kingpin Act of the late 1980s and the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994
   The legal administration of the death penalty in the United States is
   guilty, of the crime for which he/she was given the death penalty, and
   collateral review. (If the case is a federal death penalty case, it
   corpus is governed by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act
   the percentage of all death penalty cases reversed, while the others
   Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, a state
   been clear in their decisions that jury instructions in death penalty
   day in the history of capital punishment in the United States; Charles
   32 states which allow the death penalty. Nebraska required
   penalty, the judge must choose a state with the death penalty for
   the only death chamber for federal death penalty recipients in the
   Main article: Capital punishment debate in the United States
   Capital punishment is a controversial issue, with many prominent
   International and some religions oppose capital punishment on moral
   support capital punishment.
   still practice capital punishment. From the others, Japan and Singapore
   to the death penalty.
   capital punishment in the United States until various preconditions in
   framework for capital punishment that it had created in 1962, as part
   system for administering capital punishment." A study commissioned by
   Death penalty opponents often argue that this statistic shows how
   Arguments for and against capital punishment are based on moral,
   practical, and religious grounds. Advocates of the death penalty argue
   Opponents argue that the death penalty is not an effective means of
   make the current practice of capital punishment immoral and
   the death penalty is offset by the savings from avoiding trial
   death penalty.^[109]
   recently maintained its position of support for capital punishment for
   murder. However, when given a choice between the death penalty and life
   narrowed, with 49 percent favoring the death penalty and 46 percent
   of the death penalty vs. life without parole, the strongest preference
   for the death penalty was 61 percent in 1997 (29 percent favoring
   life), and the lowest preference for the death penalty was 47 percent
   be innocent, Richard Dieter, the director of the Death Penalty
   such passion from people in opposition to the death penalty. There's a
   since at least 1964.^[113] Since the reinstatement of the death penalty
   Before 2005, of the 38 U.S. states that allow capital punishment:
   Within the context of the overall murder rate, the death penalty cannot
   The death penalty is sought and applied more often in some
   convicted nationwide were sentenced to the death penalty, in Nevada
   6 percent were given the death penalty.^[116] Texas gave 2 percent of
   According to the Death Penalty Information Center there were 46
   identical language. New Mexico's former death penalty, since repealed,
   abolishing the death penalty in Illinois in March 2011, he commuted the
   personal opposition to the death penalty. In 1991 outgoing Ohio
   Since the reinstitution of the death penalty, 137 prisoners have waived
   Further information: Capital punishment debate in the United
   According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since the
   reinstitution of the death penalty, 142 innocent prisoners have been
   Since the reinstatement of the death penalty, Kansas and New Hampshire
   at that time) were rejected. Connecticut abolished the death penalty in
   the death penalty in the state of California on December 15, 2006,
   review of the death penalty system in the state.^[129]
   repeal Maryland’s death penalty. It made the state the sixth in six
     * Capital punishment by the United States federal government
     * List of United States Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment
     * Use of capital punishment by country
     * Capital punishment for drug trafficking
       state to abolish death penalty". Yahoo! News. Reuters. Archived
    3. ^ "Death Penalty in 2011: Year End Report".
    5. ^ "Death Penalty". Gallup Historical Trends. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
    6. ^ Death Penalty Information Center (2010). "Part I: History of the
       Death Penalty, Death Penalty Information Center". Retrieved April
    7. ^ "History of the Death Penalty in America". Antideathpenalty.org.
   10. ^ "The U.S. Military Death Penalty". Deathpenaltyinfo.org.
   15. ^ "History of the Death Penalty – Faith in Action – Working to
       Abolish the Death Penalty". Amnestyusa.org. Retrieved December 1,
       History of the Death Penalty in Alaska". University of Alaska
       had a death penalty. However, in Alaska's territorial days, eight
   18. ^ Hugo Adam Bedau (1980). "The 1964 Death Penalty Referendum in
       century, the death penalty has confronted the voters at the polls.
       In 1964, in an event unparalleled in our history, the death penalty
   19. ^ Arkansas Court Upends Death Penalty, New York Times, Robbie
       of Death Penalty; Corzine to Sign". The Washington Post. Retrieved
   22. ^ ^a ^b "Quinn signs death penalty ban, commutes 15 death row
   24. ^ "New Mexico governor bans death penalty". Agence France-Presse.
       made his state the 15th in the nation to outlaw capital punishment
       when he signed a law abolishing the death penalty, his office
       using the death penalty". theinformationdaily.com. March 25, 2009.
   28. ^ AG Brown says he'll follow law on death penalty^[dead link]
   30. ^ "death penalty is not likely to end soon in US". International
   31. ^ "Death penalty repeal unlikely says anti-death penalty activist".
   32. ^ "The Lantern – A new Texas? Ohio's death penalty examined".
       Reinstate Capital Punishment". The Washington Post. Retrieved April
   34. ^ Ring, Dan (November 8, 2007). "House rejects death penalty". The
   35. ^ "WHEN NEW YORK HAD NO DEATH PENALTY; Punishment for Murder Under
   36. ^ "RECENT LEGISLATION: Death Penalty Repeal Passes Second
       Connecticut House, Awaits Governor's Signature | Death Penalty
   37. ^ "Connecticut governor signs bill to repeal death penalty". FOX
       Special Case' by the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
       Overrode Death Penalty Ban". The New York Times. Retrieved February
       United States | Death Penalty Information Center".
   42. ^ "Illinois poised to abolish death penalty". Reuters. January 11,
       sought to eliminate the death penalty as a sentencing option in
       Transparency in Death Penalty Decisions". Journalist's
   46. ^ ^a ^b "Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder". Death
   52. ^ McCafferty, James A. Capital Punishment. Aldine Transaction.
       the death penalty for any individual crime – as opposed to
   60. ^ The death penalty for drug kingpins: Constitutional and
       Law Review. "In 1994 Congress enacted the Federal Death Penalty Act
       legal history in that the death penalty can be imposed in cases
   74. ^ ^a ^b "Department of Justice: Capital Punishment, 2010 Figures".
   89. ^ MSU website page on Death Penalty information^[dead link]
   93. ^ Death Penalty Info Fact Sheet
       10.95, Section 10.95.180) "Death penalty – How executed." Found at
   98. ^ Brian Evans, "The Death Penalty In 2011: Three Things You Should
   101. ^ Adam Lipak (January 4, 2010). "Group Gives Up Death Penalty
   102. ^ "Innocence: List of Those Freed From Death Row". Death Penalty
   105. ^ Experts Agree: Death Penalty Not A Deterrent To Violent Crime,
       Arbitrariness in Capital Punishment. Journal of Social Philosophy,
   108. ^ "Letter – Cost of the Death Penalty". The New York Times
   109. ^ "Study: Cost Savings From Repeal Of Death Penalty May Be
   110. ^ "In U.S., 64 percent Support Death Penalty in Cases of Murder".
   111. ^ "Support for the Death Penalty 30 Years After the Supreme Court
   115. ^ "Death Penalty". Equal Justice Initiative. Retrieved
   118. ^ Death Penalty in Black and White (1999 figures).
   119. ^ "Death penalty for female offenders, January 1, 1973, through
       The Death Penalty". The New Republic. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
       Death Penalty?". Motherboard. Vice Media, Inc. Retrieved 5 November
   132. ^ "Md. General Assembly repeals death penalty". Washington Post.
       the Death Penalty in the United States. University of New Mexico
     * Banner, Stuart (2002). The Death Penalty: An American History.
     * Bessler, John D. Cruel and Unusual: The American Death Penalty and
     * Delfino, Michelangelo and Mary E. Day. (2007). Death Penalty USA
       978-0-9725141-2-5; and Death Penalty USA 2003 – 2004 (2008). MoBeta
       Reality of America's Death Penalty Regime. Routledge, New York.
       book provides critical perspectives on the death penalty; it
       Capital Punishment and the Making of America, 1683-1807. East
       Capital Punishment and the Making of America, 1635-1843. East
     * Megivern, James J. (1997), The Death Penalty: An Historical and
       and American Capital Punishment. Abingdon Press. ISBN
       Death Penalty.)
     * Video depicting the abolition of capital punishment in the United
     * United States of America: Death Penalty Worldwide Free database
   Capital punishment in the United States
     * List of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment
   Death penalty
   Capital punishment in the United States
     * List of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment
     * Capital punishment
   Capital punishment in North America
     * Capital punishment in the United States