The Death Penalty Information Center’s year-end report shows executions and capital sentences are continuing a steady march downward nationwide.
Since Florida Governor Rick Scott took office, the state has put 23 people to death. But the process ground to a halt in January thanks to the US Supreme Court decision Hurst v. Florida. Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center says it’s the most important ruling of its kind this year.
“In response to that ruling, state courts in Florida and Delaware struck down provisions in their statutes that permitted judges to impose death sentences over jury recommendations for life or when juries had not reached a unanimous recommendation for death,” Dunham explains.
The organization’s year-end report also highlights local developments in Duval and Hillsborough counties. Both chose new state attorneys, replacing prosecutors known for disproportionately seeking the death penalty.
