Death Penalty

Newsom moves to commute 548 death sentences, emptying California’s death row

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday said he has started the process of commuting the death sentences of more than 500 state prisoners—a historic move that, if successful, would empty the nation’s largest death row and eliminate about a quarter of all death sentences nationwide. Newsom, who has been…

Nov 6, 2026 1:22 PM CST

Imperfect Solutions: Botched Christa Pike execution invites fresh look at lethal injection

Lawyers on both sides of the death penalty debate agree that Tennessee did not handle the attempted execution of Christa Pike well, but it remains to be seen if her experience will move the courts to prevent another execution attempt for the defendant, who in 1996 was convicted of killing a fellow Job Corps worker.

Nov 5, 2026 9:22 AM CST

Trump cancels Hegseth’s plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter’s execution

President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the forthcoming execution of a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed numerous colleagues at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 will not be livestreamed, upending a plan that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled last week.

Oct 15, 2026 9:51 AM CDT

‘Lawful but Awful’: Does anyone have legal standing to stop the livestreamed execution of Nidal Hasan?

Updated: President Donald Trump said Thursday morning the Pentagon would not be livestreaming the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Before the Thursday announcement, military lawyers interviewed by the ABA Journal voiced their concerns.

Oct 15, 2026 9:07 AM CDT

Judge orders Tennessee to preserve evidence in failed execution of Christa Pike

NASHVILLE—A Tennessee judge on Wednesday ordered state officials to preserve all evidence related to the botched attempt to execute inmate Christa Pike, who survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital last week and remains hospitalized in Nashville.

Oct 7, 2026 2:47 PM CDT

Justice Sotomayor criticizes judge who ordered juror’s arrest in front of jury pool

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday rebuked an Alabama judge who had a prospective juror arrested for being late to court, warning that doing so could scare other members of the pool and make them less effective if chosen.

Oct 6, 2026 11:58 AM CDT

Plastic surgeon found guilty of murdering ‘beloved’ lawyer

A prominent Florida plastic surgeon was found guilty of murder charges in the death of a “beloved” lawyer who went missing in March 2023.

Sep 24, 2026 10:55 AM CDT

ABA Death Penalty Representation Project marks 40 years, recognizes firms, lawyers for pro bono service

The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project marked its 40th anniversary at its 2026 Volunteer Recognition & Awards Event on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C. Since its founding in 1986, the project has worked to improve the quality and availability of legal representation for persons facing death sentences.

Sep 21, 2026 3:36 PM CDT

Charlie Kirk’s family intends to sue Utah university over alleged security lapses

A law firm representing the family of conservative U.S. political activist Charlie Kirk has notified a Utah university that it plans to sue over his fatal shooting there, claiming that inadequate security contributed to his death.

Sep 17, 2026 9:50 AM CDT

District attorney won’t seek death penalty for Nick Reiner based on siblings’ wishes

Based on the wishes of his siblings, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner, who is charged with murdering his parents, Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner and photographer and film producer Michele Singer Reiner.

Sep 16, 2026 11:34 AM CDT

Prominent Florida plastic surgeon on trial for allegedly killing ‘beloved’ lawyer over billing dispute

A prominent Florida plastic surgeon is set to go to trial Monday on murder charges in connection with the death of a lawyer who went missing in March 2023.

Sep 14, 2026 9:37 AM CDT

Former death penalty attorney creates stand-up comedy show with inspiration from clients

Not long before his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, death row lawyer-turned-comic Josh Pickar spoke with one of his former clients. The man, who remains incarcerated and awaiting execution, knew the attorney was performing his stand-up show, Getting Off, at the festival and asked him to include one of his jokes. Pickar thought it would fit because his show was about the death penalty.

Sep 11, 2026 10:33 AM CDT

Dog owner asks Supreme Court to spare pooch from execution

It’s not unusual for the U.S. Supreme Court to receive last-minute appeals seeking to halt the execution of an inmate sentenced to death. Earlier this month, however, the high court received an emergency request for something highly unusual: Please save my dog Bruce from being put to death.

Aug 24, 2026 9:38 AM CDT

Michigan court revokes death sentence for bulldog who bit house guest

A bulldog named Chance got a second one from a Michigan appeals court that spared him the death penalty for attacking a woman at a friend’s home.

Aug 17, 2026 8:08 AM CDT

ABA connects death row inmate to pro bono attorneys who help free him

Jimmie “Chris” Duncan is now the 117th death row inmate to avoid wrongful execution with the help of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project. Last week, the Louisiana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court decision that overturned Duncan’s first-degree murder conviction, citing new evidence that upended the prosecution’s entire theory of the crime.

Jul 9, 2026 1:05 PM CDT