Texas: Death Sentences Drop

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05 ... .html?_r=1

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 5, 2008
A group that opposes the death penalty said Texas juries this year sentenced the fewest number of inmates to death row since the United States Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976. Nine people were sentenced to die in 2008, according to an annual review of capital punishment cases by the group, the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The report said six executions were stopped by last-minute reprieves and seven death-row inmates had their sentences commuted to life. Executions were down to 18 from 26 a year ago, and no executions were carried out until June while the Supreme Court considered whether lethal injection methods were unconstitutionally cruel. The final Texas execution of 2008 was Nov. 20. At least 10 inmates have execution dates scheduled for 2009, including at least six in January. Since Texas resumed capital punishment in December 1982, 420 men and 3 women have been executed.