U.S. executes most since

1955

by Richard Carelli

WASHINGTON (AP) – More murderers were executed in U.S. prisons in 1997 than at any time in the past 42 years, and the pace of executions is expected to rise as the 20^th century ends and the 21^st begins.

Seventy-four of the nation’s more than 3200 death row inmates were executed this year, the most since –76 were put to death in 1955. No states has additional executions scheduled for the rest of this year.

"The execution train is still speeding down the track, and it’s very hard to stop, or even slow it," said Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington-based group critical of how capital punishment is administered.

This year, 17 of the 38 states with death penalty laws imposed what courts call the ultimate punishment. Texas was far and away the leader with 37 executions.

"We had a larger number partly due to a backlog of cases from 1996," said Ward Tisdale of the Texas attorneys general’s office. "It’s hard to predict the number of executions we’ll see in 1998, but it’s unlikely it will rise to the level of 1997."

Executions were virtually halted in Texas in 1996 by a court challenge over a new state law aimed at speeding up appeals. The law eventually was upheld.

A similar scenario arose this year in Florida, where only one of 350 death row inmates was executed.

More executions were stalled by a legal challenge to use of the electric chair, which opponents say is painful enough to amount to be unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment.

The Florida Supreme Court upheld use of the electric chair, but suggested the state Legislature consider adopting some other form of execution. Florida’s Governor has postponed resuming executions until March to give state lawmakers the option of changing the state killing method.

Several states gives condemned prisoners an option on how they die. Most recently, states increasingly have provided for death by poisonous injection.

Nationally, the rate of executions since the Supreme Court ended a four-year moratorium on capital punishment in 1976 is far below what it had been in decades past.

Between 1930 and 1967, 3859 U.S. executions were carried out – an annual average of more than 100.

There have been 432 executions nationwide since Gary Gilmore was killed by a Utah firing squad in 1977. Texas carried out 144 of them.

"Based on all the public opinion polls and the mood of the Legislature, I can say it’s overwhelming support for the death penalty in Texas, and I see no indication that will change in the foreseeable future," Tisdale said.

Dieter predicted that the execution rate nationwide will continue to rise over the next four or five years, but suggested that newly voiced concerns might have long-term effect of bringing those totals down.

Catholic bishops in Texas recently criticized the lead their state has taken.

The American Bar Association urged this year a national moratorium on the death penalty until fairness can be assured.

"Over the long run, such speaking could very well have an effect." Dieter said. "Eventually, we could see a slowdown in executions, but I don’t think we’ll see a complete reversal."