Capital punishment in Louisiana

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Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Louisiana. A total of 659 individuals have been executed in Louisiana including 27 since 1976. A total of 88 people are under a sentence of death in the state as of October 13, 2007. The current method of execution in Louisiana is lethal injection. Capital crimes in Louisiana are: First degree murder (premeditation does not have to be a part of it, but instead requires specific intent), aggravated rape of a victim under the age of 12, and treason.

Contents

[edit] Process

The jury decides the sentence and may give a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for capital offenses. A unanimous verdict is needed is order to convict of defendant of a capital crime and sentence to death. Clemency rests with the governor of Louisiana, who must have a recommendation from a board.

[edit] Method

Executions in Louisiana are currently performed at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, where Louisiana's death row is by lethal injection. Lethal injection is the sole method of execution. Previous methods: hanging up to 1938 and then electrocution for 61 people from 1941 to 1991.

[edit] Capital offenses

  • Aggravated rape of a victim under the age of 12.
  • Treason against the state of Louisiana.
  • First degree murder:
    • The murder was committed during the commission of, attempt of, or escape from a specified felony (aggravated kidnapping, second degree kidnapping, aggravated escape, aggravated arson, aggravated rape, forcible rape, aggravated burglary, armed robbery, assault by drive-by shooting, first degree robbery, second degree robbery, simple robbery, terrorism, cruelty to juveniles, or second degree cruelty to juveniles).
    • The victim was a fireman or peace officer engaged in his lawful duties.
    • The offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon more than one person.
    • The murder was committed for pecuniary gain or pursuant to an agreement that the defendant would receive something of value.
    • The victim was under the age of 12 years.
    • The victim was 65 years or older.
    • The murder was committed during a illegal drug deal.
    • The murder was committed while the defendant was engaged in "ritualistic acts".
    • The murder was committed while the defendant was the subject of a restraining order protecting the victim.
    • The murder was committed upon a victim who was a witness to a crime or was a member of the immediate family of a witness to a crime committed on a prior occasion.

[edit] Individuals executed since 1976

A total of 27 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Louisiana since 1976:

Executed person Date of execution Method Victims Under Governor
1 Robert Wayne Williams 14 December 1983 electric chair Willie Kelly. David C. Treen
2 Johnny Taylor, Jr. 29 February 1984 electric chair David Vogler. David C. Treen
3 Elmo Patrick Sonnier 5 April 1984 electric chair Loretta Bourque and David LeBlanc. Edwin Edwards
4 Timothy G. Baldwin 10 September 1984 electric chair Mary Lee Peters. Edwin Edwards
5 Ernest Knighton, Jr. 30 October 1984 electric chair Ralph Shell. Edwin Edwards
6 Robert Lee Willie 28 December 1984 electric chair Faith Hathaway. Edwin Edwards
7 David Dene Martin 4 January 1985 electric chair Bobby Todd. Edwin Edwards
8 Benjamin Berry 7 June 1987 electric chair Robert Cochran. Edwin Edwards
9 Alvin R. Moore, Jr. 8 June 1987 electric chair Jo Ann Wilson. Edwin Edwards
10 Jimmy L. Glass 12 June 1987 electric chair Newt Brown and Erlene Brown. Edwin Edwards
11 Jimmy Wingo 12 June 1987 electric chair Newt Brown and Erlene Brown. Edwin Edwards
12 Willie Celestine 20 July 1987 electric chair Marcelaine Richard. Edwin Edwards
13 Willie Watson 24 July 1987 electric chair Kathy Newman. Edwin Edwards
14 John E. Brogdon 30 July 1987 electric chair Barbara Jo Brown. Edwin Edwards
15 Sterling J. Rault, Jr. 24 August 1987 electric chair Jane Ellen Francioni. Edwin Edwards
16 Wayne Robert Felde 15 March 1988 electric chair Glen Thompkins. Buddy Roemer
17 Leslie Lowenfield 13 April 1988 electric chair Shiela Thomas, Shantel Osborne, Carol Osborne, Owen Griffin, and Myrtle Griffin. Buddy Roemer
18 Edward R. Byme, Jr. 14 June 1988 electric chair Robert Johnson. Buddy Roemer
19 Dalton Prejean 18 May 1990 electric chair Donald Cleveland. Buddy Roemer
20 Andrew Lee Jones 22 July 1991 electric chair Tumekica Jackson. Buddy Roemer
21 Robert Wayne Sawyer 5 March 1993 lethal injection Frances Arwood. Edwin Edwards
22 Thomas Lee Ward 16 March 1995 lethal injection Wilbert John Spencer. Edwin Edwards
23 Antonio G. James 1 March 1996 lethal injection Henry Silver. Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
24 John Ashley Brown, Jr. 24 April 1997 lethal injection Omer Laughlin. Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
25 Dobie Gillis Williams 8 January 1999 lethal injection Sonja Knippers. Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
26 Feltus Taylor, Jr. 6 June 2000 lethal injection Donna Ponsano. Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
27 Leslie Dale Martin 10 May 2002 lethal injection Christina Burgin. Murphy J. Foster, Jr.

[edit] Notable cases

The only two people in the United States who are sentenced to die of a rape that did not result in death were convicted in Louisiana courts: Patrick O. Kennedy and Richard L. Davis[1] [2]. Kennedy's case has led to a challenge before the Supreme Court, scheduled to be heard in April 2008.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Loresha Wilson (2007). Death for rapist: Jury says man should die for assaulting 5-year-old. Shreveport Times, Shreveport, LA. Retrieved on January 4, 2008.
  2. ^ Mark Sherman (2008). Court Mulls Death Penalty for Child Rape. Associated Press. Retrieved on January 11, 2008.

[edit] External links

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Capital punishment in the United States
In depth
Lists of those executed