*Death sentences were imposed in Brazos, Johnson, McLennan, and Smith Counties. There currently are 278 people on death row in Texas, including 9 women; this is the lowest the death row population has been since at least 1989, according to research by TCADP. (2013) Since 1973, 142 individuals – including 12 in Texas – have been released from death rows nationwide due to evidence of their wrongful conviction. There also have been investigations into whether Texas wrongfully executed Carlos DeLuna in 1989, Ruben Cantu in 1993, and Cameron Todd Willingham in 2004. In Texas, the cost of an average death penalty case is nearly three times higher than imprisoning someone in maximum security for 40 years. (Dallas Morning News) Six states – New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois, Connecticut and, most recently, Maryland – have abandoned the death penalty in recent years. A total of 18 states and the District of Columbia do not allow the death penalty. 139 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In 2011, the top five executing countries were China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. New death sentences in Texas have dropped more than 75% since 2002. In 2010 and 2011, new death sentences reached a historic low level, when eight people were sentenced to death statewide. In 2012, nine new death sentences were imposed, including two in Dallas County, two in Tarrant County, and one in Johnson County. In 2013, two new death sentences have been imposed to date, one in Dallas County, and one in Galveston County.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:20:48 +0000
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