by rkonrad on April 24, 2018 at 2:20 pm

In a decision most significant for what it declined to do, the U.S. Supreme Court has rebuffed efforts by state prosecutors to further limit the scope of federal habeas corpus review of state criminal cases. In a 6-3 vote with Justice Breyer writing for the […]

by jmoore on April 23, 2018 at 8:50 pm

At the urging of the victim’s family, Rapid City, South Dakota prosecutors have withdrawn their request for the death penalty against two murder defendants in the only capital trials pending in the state. On April 16, Pennington County State’s Attorney […]

by rdunham on April 20, 2018 at 4:56 pm

Death row is aging and increasingly infirm and, as a series of recent death warrants suggest, that phenomenon is raising legal, practical, and humanitarian concerns. One year after executing 75-year-old Thomas Arthur, Alabama on April 19 executed […]

by aholsinger on April 19, 2018 at 8:08 pm

In 1764, Italian philosopher Cesare Beccaria wrote the treatise, Dei delitti e delle pene, which author John Bessler (pictured) says spawned global movements for fair and proportional punishment and against practices such as torture and the death penalty. […]

by Vanessa Akins on April 24, 2018 at 4:13 pm

On April 25, 2018, the State of Texas is scheduled to execute Erick Davila for the 2008 murders of Annette Stevenson and her granddaughter, Queshawn, in Fort Worth. Davila has steadfastly maintained that he did not intend to kill either of the victims. His […]

by Vanessa Akins on April 18, 2018 at 3:25 pm

Earlier this month, Amnesty International published its annual report, Death Sentences and Executions 2017. The report details the 39% decrease in the use of the death penalty worldwide since 2015 and highlights nations which continue to violate international […]

by Vanessa Akins on April 3, 2018 at 6:24 pm

In this edition of our monthly e-newsletter, you’ll find information about executions, case updates, and announcements about upcoming events and film screenings featuring wrongful convictions. […]

by Vanessa Akins on March 28, 2018 at 4:52 pm

Yesterday, March 27, the State of Texas executed Rosendo Rodriguez for the 2008 murder and assault of Summer Baldwin in Lubbock. The United States Supreme Court rejected Rodriguez’s final appeal just before 6:00 PM. According to the Texas Tribune, […]

on April 25, 2018 at 1:44 pm

Amnesty International published its international global review of the death penalty on Tuesday, 12th April 2018. At least 993 executions in 23 countries in 2017 were recorded, down by 4% from 2016 (1,032 executions) and 39% from 2015 (when the organization […]

on April 25, 2018 at 9:56 am

The third regional Congress against the death penalty was held in Côte d’Ivoire, in Abidjan, in 2018 from April 9 to 10th. This is a natural choice when one can know that Africa is named “next abolitionist continent” and that civil society recognized […]

on April 23, 2018 at 5:10 pm

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty held its Steering Committee meeting on 11/04/2018 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, following the Regional Congress held on 09-10 April 2018. […]

on April 23, 2018 at 3:32 pm

The World Coalition, FIACAT, FIDH and Ditshwanelo have partnered in a project that vectors the main objective of contributing to the abolition of the death penalty in sub-Saharan Africa. […]

by James Clark on November 4, 2016 at 4:29 pm

At a recent public debate of California’s competing ballot initiatives on the death penalty, Paul Pfingst, a former district attorney for San Diego County and a supporter of Prop 66, spoke about the role race plays in the death penalty. … Please […]

by James Clark on September 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm

Troy was on death row for over two decades before he was finally executed. In that time he became a leader himself in the movement to end the death penalty, with his steadfast spirit and unshakeable faith in justice inspiring activists around the world. […]

by Guest Writer on September 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm

By Savannah Fox, Field Organizer Five years ago today, on September 21st, I became an activist. I didn’t sign my first petition or attended my first rally. I found my passion, my anger and my hope as an activist, all … Please continue reading. […]

by James Clark on August 17, 2016 at 9:41 pm

As death sentences and executions dwindle around the country and most states are abandoning the death penalty, a few states are determined to keep executions rolling. Top of the list is Texas, the state that’s now gearing up to execute a man who never […]