Texas Death Sentences Decline Sharply
In a report released by the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, DC, the number of criminals being given death sentences has declined across the United States over the past decade. This includes the state of Texas, which has a reputation for sentencing the most people to death row.
The Texas trend stems from a law enacted five years ago that allows juries to consider life sentences without parole. Broader factors in the decline of death sentences include closer scrutiny of criminal cases, a growing concern about the methods used to put inmates to death, and the acceptance that mistakes can be made during the judicial process - illustrated by news of individuals once considered guilty being set free. With juries hesitant to apply a death sentence, prosecutors are less likely to seeking it during the penalty phase of a trial.
According to Texas Judicial System data, the state averaged 34 death sentences per year during the 1990's. That dropped into the 20s starting around 2000 and has been in the teens since the 2004-2005 fiscal year. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year that ended August 31, 15 criminals were sentenced to death row.
Number of death sentences handed down in Texas courts:
- Fiscal Year 1995-1996: 40
- Fiscal Year 1998-1999: 36
- Fiscal Year 2003-2004: 23
- Fiscal Year 2006-2007: 13
- Fiscal Year 2008-2009: 15
