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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 18 december 2019

Report: 5th straight year with under 30 executions in U.S.

By MARK SHERMAN but the court otherwise sig-
Associated Press naled its impatience with
WASHINGTON (AP) — Few- last-minute efforts to keep
er than 30 people were ex- inmates from being put to
ecuted in the United States death.
and under 50 new death While Texas continues to be
sentences were imposed the leader in carrying out
for the fifth straight year, executions, the number of
part of a continuing de- new death sentences there
cline in capital punishment has dropped markedly in
that saw only a few states recent years, with just four
carry out executions, a new for the year. Florida and
report issued Tuesday said. Ohio each had six inmates
But even as death row newly sentenced to death,
populations were dropping among the 33 death sen-
in most of the 29 states that tences recorded so far
still have the death pen- this year. Several capital
alty, the Trump administra- sentencing proceedings
tion tried to restart execu- are ongoing and could
tions on the federal level change the final number,
and a more conservative the report said.
Supreme Court appeared Overall, death sentences
less willing to grant death- are down more than 80
row inmates last-minute re- percent from the 1990s,
prieves. Dunham said. Fewer juris-
"The death penalty is disap- dictions are seeking capital
pearing from whole regions This July 7, 2010 file photo, shows Nebraska's lethal injection chamber at the State Penitentiary in punishment and juries are
Lincoln, Neb.
of the country and erod- Associated Press more willing to sentence
ing in others, but the death defendants to life terms
penalty is persisting among death penalty, while Cali- ney General William Barr conducting lethal injection with no chance of parole,
outlier jurisdictions," said fornia Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in July that executions at the federal he said.
Robert Dunham, execu- imposed a formal moratori- federal executions would prison in Terre Haute, Indi- But even with the decrease,
tive director of the Death um on executions in a state resume beginning in De- ana. some of the sentences
Penalty Information Cen- with the largest death row cember. President Donald Barr's push for new execu- were troublesome, the re-
ter, which produced the population, although the Trump has long been a pro- tions showed that the ad- port said. One example it
look at the death penalty last execution in California ponent of the death pen- ministration "is going to be cited was Tiffany Moss, who
in 2019. took place nearly 14 years alty. out of step with the Ameri- was sentenced to death
Twenty of the 22 executions ago. "The Justice Department can public and what is in Georgia for starving her
in 2019 took place in five Also for the fifth straight upholds the rule of law — happening in most of the stepdaughter to death.
Southern states, led by Tex- year, no state west of Texas and we owe it to the vic- states around the country," The judge allowed Moss
as with 9, the center said. carried out an execution. tims and their families to Dunham said. to represent herself at trial,
The others are Alabama, There are now 32 states carry forward the sentence The Death Penalty Informa- despite evidence that she
Florida, Georgia and Ten- that either have no death imposed by our justice sys- tion Center takes no posi- had brain damage that
nessee. Missouri and South penalty or have not exe- tem," Barr said at the time. tion on capital punishment, affected her judgment
Dakota each executed cuted anyone in more than A federal judge put a hold but is critical of the manner and decision-making, the
one inmate. a decade. on the scheduled execu- in which it has been admin- report said. Moss did not
Elsewhere in the country, But at the federal level, tions, and the Supreme istered. make an opening state-
New Hampshire became where the last execution Court turned away the ad- The justices would not allow ment, closing argument or
the 21st state to abolish the took place in 2003, Attor- ministration's plea to begin federal executions in 2019, call witnesses.q