Death Penalty Facts

The Wrong Man: A True Story of Innocence on Death Row

"Like a stone dropped into a pond, my hope is that this book will create the ripple effect of touching an ever-widening audience of people willing to reconsider the death penalty and the 'business' of death in America. The story told in The Wrong Man is a most effective weapon to help conquer the disease of capital punishment." Edward Asner

"The Wrong Man offers yet another painfully urgent piece of evidence that capital punishment needs to be abolished." Peter Yarrow

Death Penalty Facts*

Federal Executions May 16, 2001 is the tentatively scheduled execution date for Timothy McVeigh who was convicted in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.This will be the first federal execution since 1963.

Increasing death sentences The total number of persons under death sentences has increased by 206% in the past fifteen years, from 1,209 in 1983 to 3,700 in July 1999-June 2000.

States with the Death Penalty Currently there are 38 states with the death penalty: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

IQ Of these states, 22 allow execution of the mentally retarded. To date, 35 offenders with mental retardation have been executed.

Juveniles As of June 2000, 74 death row inmates were sentenced as juveniles, which is roughly 2% of the total death row population. Two-thirds of these juveniles are minorities. 21 states have a minimum age of 16 or no minimum at all.

Race Between 1976 and January 2001, the racial breakdown of defendents executed was: Whites: 384 (55%), Black: 247 (36%), Hispanic: 48 (2%), Native American/Asian: 13 (2%).The current population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau list the current race figures as White: 196,929,000 (71%), Black: 33,619,000 (13%), Hispanic: 32,832,000 (12%), Native American/Asian: 12,679,000 (4%).

Crimes Treason is punishable by the death penalty in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Deterrance The South accounts for 80% of executions in the United States, yet the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that it has the highest murder rate. The Northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions in the United States, has the lowest murder rate. In a Justice Department news briefing, Janet Reno said, "I have inquired for most of my adult life about studies that might show that the death penalty is a deterrent. And I have not seen any research that would substantiate that point." (Reuters, 1/21/00)

Innocence Between 1973 and October 1993, the number of innocent defendants released from death row was an average of 2.75. Since then the average has increased to 5 per year. In 2000, 8 were released.

*SOURCES: Unless otherwise indicated, all information was supplied by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Florida and the Death Penalty

Timeline of Joseph Spaziano's case

Federal Executions	May 16, 2001 is the tentatively scheduled execution date for Timothy McVeigh who was convicted in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.This will be the first federal execution since 1963.
Increasing death sentences	The total number of persons under death sentences has increased by 206% in the past fifteen years, from 1,209 in 1983 to 3,700 in July 1999-June 2000.
States with the Death Penalty	Currently there are 38 states with the death penalty: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
IQ	Of these states, 22 allow execution of the mentally retarded. To date, 35 offenders with mental retardation have been executed.
Juveniles	As of June 2000, 74 death row inmates were sentenced as juveniles, which is roughly 2% of the total death row population. Two-thirds of these juveniles are minorities. 21 states have a minimum age of 16 or no minimum at all.
Race	Between 1976 and January 2001, the racial breakdown of defendents executed was: Whites: 384 (55%), Black: 247 (36%), Hispanic: 48 (2%), Native American/Asian: 13 (2%).The current population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau list the current race figures as White: 196,929,000 (71%), Black: 33,619,000 (13%), Hispanic: 32,832,000 (12%), Native American/Asian: 12,679,000 (4%).
Crimes	Treason is punishable by the death penalty in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Deterrance	The South accounts for 80% of executions in the United States, yet the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that it has the highest murder rate. The Northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions in the United States, has the lowest murder rate. In a Justice Department news briefing, Janet Reno said, "I have inquired for most of my adult life about studies that might show that the death penalty is a deterrent. And I have not seen any research that would substantiate that point." (Reuters, 1/21/00)
Innocence	Between 1973 and October 1993, the number of innocent defendants released from death row was an average of 2.75. Since then the average has increased to 5 per year. In 2000, 8 were released.