death-penalty

Lawmakers take a bipartisan first step toward repealing Pennsylvania’s death penalty

BY: - October 31, 2023

Legislation to repeal Pennsylvania's death penalty passed out of a state House committee in what the bill's sponsor called a historic vote.

After sentencing, Pgh synagogue shooter will fade from the public eye. Here’s why

BY: - July 16, 2023

Whatever sentence he gets, survivors say they want to make sure the message of hate stops with him.

Firing squads could return as states debate the death penalty | Analysis

BY: - March 10, 2023

Twenty-seven states allow capital punishment, but public support for it has declined.

Five things to know about the death penalty in Pa. | Friday Morning Coffee

BY: - February 24, 2023

Lawmakers in the state House and Senate have reintroduced bills to get Pennsylvania out of the capital punishment business.

COMMENTARY

Virginia abolished biased, botched executions; more states should follow suit | Opinion

BY: - January 5, 2023

The imposition of a death sentence gives a false impression that justice is being served.

Botched executions reached ‘astonishing’ high in 2022, report finds

BY: - December 18, 2022

Two more death row prisoners were exonerated in 2022, even as society’s ultimate sanction became more geographically isolated, with only a handful of states carrying out executions in the last year, according to a new report. The number of botched executions also reached an “astonishing” level, according to the research by the Death Penalty Information […]

Josh Shapiro about to speak a press conference

Capital-Star Q+A: Josh Shapiro on the death penalty, climate and Harrisburg

BY: - April 8, 2022

The only Democratic gubernatorial candidate on the ballot in 2022 says he's here to take on 'big fights.'

COMMENTARY

With debate over communion: Yet another reason for the Catholic church to lose members | Dick Polman

BY: - June 28, 2021

The church opposes the death penalty on principle, but has never sought to deny communion to Catholic politicians who support it.

COMMENTARY

Pa. Rep. Dwight Evans joins call for Biden to commute federal death sentences | Tuesday Morning Coffee

BY: - January 26, 2021

The Philadelphia Democrat is among the signatories of a letter urging President Joe Biden to take 'swift, decisive action,' to halt executions.

COMMENTARY

Five things the Legislature can do to make Pennsylvanians’ lives measurably better in 2021 | John L. Micek

BY: - December 30, 2020

This new time calls for a reset on everything. The dawning of a new year offers just such and opportunity. The 253 members of the General Assembly should not squander it. 

COMMENTARY

As executions slowed during pandemic, death penalty opposition continued to grow | Wednesday Morning Coffee

BY: - December 16, 2020

More than two-thirds of states (34) have either repealed the death penalty or not carried out an execution in 10 years, according to a new report. That includes Pennsylvania.

COMMENTARY

More and more states are moving away from the death penalty. What’s Pa.’s excuse? | Thursday Morning Coffee

BY: - January 9, 2020

Racist. Biased. And broken. It's time to get rid of capital punishment entirely