Florida’s uniquely horrifying death penalty system
Late last month, the state of Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike, a woman who has been on death row for decades after killing a classmate as a teenager. The execution failed: Pike survived two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital, making her the first person ever to do so. The botched execution comes […]
Last month, Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike, a woman on death row for killing a classmate as a teenager. However, the execution failed when Pike survived two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital. This marks the first instance of a failed execution in the state. At a time when support for capital punishment has been declining and the number of executions has been falling, there has been a surge in recent years, primarily driven by Florida.
According to Pamela Colloff, a journalist who covers the criminal justice system, 40% of the executions in the US last year took place in Florida. What sets Florida apart is the role of Governor Ron DeSantis in determining the execution dates for the hundreds of men on death row, which is unlike any other state.
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