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The still to be used lethal injection room at San Quentin State Prison, California. Opened in 2010 at the cost of $853,000.

Capital Punishment

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Death Sentences
She’s Waited Decades for David Wood’s Execution. Now, Evidence Casts Doubt on His Guilt.
The case of a victim’s mother and one of the longest-serving death row prisoners shows how capital appeals can seem both endless and rushed.
Fulton, a White woman with blonde hair, sits on a gray couch next to picture frames holding photos that show her daughter Desiree, a young White girl.
George Hall, a White man, smokes a cigarette while sitting in the driver's seat of a car.
Death Sentences February 25
He Refused to Become a Jailhouse Snitch. Can He Stop David Wood’s Execution?
Texas plans to execute Wood in March. George Hall claims police wanted him to say that Wood confessed six Texas murders to him in prison.
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ABILENE - TX October 17th, 2024: Portrait of Doctor James Williams Taken in side of his office on Wednesday, October 17th
Death Sentences February 4
Why This Physician Testifies in Favor of the Firing Squad
James Williams is an ER doctor, a hunter, a gunshot victim — and the go-to expert for death row prisoners seeking an alternative to lethal injection.
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Trump, a White man in a navy suit and a red and navy tie, signs a document while sitting in the Oval Office.
Analysis January 22
Trump’s New Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details
The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.
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Robert Roberson, a light-skinned man wearing a white prison uniform, looks through visitation room glass. A phone hangs on either side of the divider.
Closing Argument September 18, 2024
Robert Roberson’s Death Penalty Case Shows How Justice System Fails People With Autism
He was convicted in his daughter’s death. Those who believe he’s innocent argue his diagnosis helps explain how he ended up facing execution.
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A photo of nine people holding red signs with dates and names in front of a white, columned marble building.
Feature September 17, 2024
Could People Facing the Death Penalty Lose the Right to Tell Juries Their Life Stories?
Some defense lawyers fear that a conservative Supreme Court could overturn that precedent.
By Joe Sexton
A collage shows a color photo of a young White man with glasses and brown hair looking to the side while sitting down. In the foreground and out of focus, two men speak with each other. Around the photo are illustrations depicting a sonogram and brain scan, and photos of a middle-aged White man at a podium and of a memorial with candles and photos.
Feature September 17, 2024
5 Things to Know About How the Parkland Shooter’s Life Was Spared
Key takeaways from our investigation into how Nikolas Cruz’s defense team convinced jurors not to impose the death penalty.
By Joe Sexton
Feature September 17, 2024
The Hardest Case for Mercy
Inside the effort to spare the Parkland school shooter.
By Joe Sexton
A light-skinned Hispanic man with close-cropped hair and tattoos on his arms uses the phone at the Polunsky Unit prison facility.
Death Sentences June 27, 2024
This Doctor Helped Send Ramiro Gonzales to Death Row. Now He’s Changed His Mind.
Texas plans to execute Gonzales this week even though the expert witness says he isn’t a ‘threat to society.’
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A light-skinned Hispanic man with close-cropped hair and tattoos on his arms uses the phone at the Polunsky Unit prison facility.
Life Inside June 24, 2024
A Death Row Prisoner’s Parting Interview
Days before his scheduled execution in Texas, Ramiro Gonzales speaks on faith, legacy — and apologizing to the family of his victim, Bridget Townsend.
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