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Only 4 states besides Alabama have carried out executions in 2023

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Only 4 states besides Alabama have carried out executions in 2023


Alabama is one of a handful of states to carry out an execution in 2023, a year in which the use of capital punishment increased but still remained far below the peak of 24 years ago, according to a new report from the Death Penalty Information Center.

Five states have executed a total of 24 people this year, six more executions than in 2022. But it was the ninth consecutive year of fewer than 30 executions in the United States, a marked decline since 1999, when there were 98 executions, the most since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976.

Alabama was one of seven states where courts handed out new death sentences this year, the fewest number of states doing so in 20 years.

The numbers are from the Death Penalty Information Center, which released its annual report on executions and capital punishment policies and trends.

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Alabama executed James Barber in July and and executed Casey McWhorter two weeks ago, both by the lethal injection. Alabama’s next execution is scheduled for January, when it is set to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith by nitrogen hypoxia, a method never used by any state.

Other states that have carried out the death penalty this year are Texas, with eight executions, Florida with six, and Oklahoma and Missouri with four each. The number of states carrying out executions tied 2016 as the fewest number of states in 20 years. All 24 executions were by lethal injection.

There were a total of 21 new death sentences nationally.

Florida led states with five death sentences this year, followed by California with four, Alabama and Texas with three each, Arizona and South Carolina with two each, and Louisiana with one. The federal court system issued one new death sentence.

Alabama has 167 inmates on death row, the fourth largest number among states. The only states with more are California with 665, Florida with 313, and Texas with 192. Alabama’s death row population is larger than Georgia’s (41), Mississippi’s (36), and Tennessee’s (47) combined.

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The DPIC report includes results from an annual Gallup survey on crime that shows for the first time more Americans believe the death penalty is carried out unfairly (50%), than fairly (47%).

“The data show that most Americans no longer believe the death penalty can be imposed fairly,” Robin M. Maher, DPIC’s executive director, said in a press release. “That important change can also be seen in the unprecedented show of support for death-sentenced prisoners from conservative lawmakers and elected officials this year, some of whom now oppose use of the death penalty in their state.”

Twenty-nine states have abolished the death penalty or paused it by executive action, according to the DPIC report.

Overall, a majority of respondents to the Gallup survey, conducted in October, still support the death penalty for those who commit murder. But that number, 53%, was the lowest since 1972. The number supporting the death penalty peaked at 80% in 1994.

The annual Gallup survey, which polls at least 1,000 adults, showed a sharp partisan divide on the death penalty. More than two-thirds of Republicans, 68%, said the death penalty was carried out fairly, while only 28% of Democrats said it was.

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Eighty-one percent of Republicans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, compared to 32% of Democrats and 51% of independents.

Three death row inmates were exonerated this year, bringing the total number of exonerations to 195 since 1973, the report says.

The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated all death penalty laws in 1972 in the case Furman vs. Georgia, finding that arbitrariness and racial discrimination raised concerns about whether the laws violated the constitution. The court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

The DPIC report says the U.S. Supreme Court granted one stay of an execution out of 34 requests during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 terms. The court has granted 11 emergency stay requests out of 270 since 2013, or 4%, according to a Bloomberg Law report cited by the DPIC.

Alabama is mentioned in several sections of the report.

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The report carries a summary of the case of Alabama death row inmate Toforest Johnson with several others under a section about high-profile cases with claims of innocence.

The report says the Florida legislature passed two laws this year that expanded the use of the death penalty. One removed the requirement for a unanimous consent by the jury to impose the death penalty. The new law authorizes the death penalty if at least eight jurors concur.

That means Florida joined Alabama as the only state allowing the death penalty for less than a unanimous jury decision during the sentencing phase. Alabama requires at least 10 jurors to approve the death penalty during the sentencing phase after a unanimous verdict during the guilt phase.

The other new Florida law allows the death penalty for sexual battery of a child under the age of 12 that does not result in the death of the victim. In 2008, the Supreme Court struck down a similar Louisiana law imposing the death sentence for child rape, the DPIC said. That case, Kennedy v. Louisiana, was decided 5-4.

The DPIC report includes among its “key quotes” from 2023 an excerpt from an op-ed piece written by former Alabama governors Don Siegelman and Robert Bentley, who expressed regret about their reviews of death penalty cases.

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“As governors, we had the power to commute the sentences of all those on Alabama’s death row to life in prison… We missed our chance to confront the death penalty and have lived to regret it, but it is not too late for today’s elected officials to do the morally right thing,” Siegelman and Bentley wrote.



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Alabama

2024 Alabama High School Back and Lineman of the Year Finalists

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2024 Alabama High School Back and Lineman of the Year Finalists


Winners, Super All-State and Mr. Football to be revealed Jan. 28 at a luncheon banquet at the Montgomery Renaissance.

Class 7A

Back of the year
Anquon Fegans, Thompson
Trent Seaborn, Thompson
Daylyn Upshaw, Central-Phenix City

Lineman of the year
Malik Autry, Opelika
Zion Grady, Enterprise
Jared Smith, Thompson

Class 6A

Back of the year
Corey Barber, Spain Park
KJ Lacey, Saraland
Na’eem Offord, Parker

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Lineman of the year
Keenan Britt, Oxford
Jourdin Crawford, Parker
Anthony Jones, St. Paul’s

Class 5A

Back of the year
Conner Nelson, Leeds
Cam Phinizee, Russellville
Jotavion Pierce, Catholic-Montgomery

Lineman of the year
Jabarrius Garrar, Vigor
Kentonio Kelly Jr., Vigor
Ellis McGaskin, Williamson

Class 4A

Back of the year
EJ Crowell, Jackson
Landon Duckworth, Jackson
Gunner Rivers, St. Michael

Lineman of the year
Tristan Brown, Cherokee Co.
Tae Diamond, Cherokee Co.
AJ Rice, Madison Academy

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Class 3A

Back of the year
Caden Chandler, Mars Hill Bible
Kadyn Mitchell, Houston Academy
Rollie Pinto, Piedmont

Lineman of the year
Myles Johnson, T.R. Miller
Billy Neill, Bayside Academy
Tucker Wilks, Fyffe

Class 2A

Back of the year
Chris Clemons, Winston Co.
Luke Gilbert, Pisgah
Preston Lancaster, Tuscaloosa Aca.

Lineman of the year
JJ Faulk, Highland Home
Clete O’Bryant, Coosa Christian
Grayson Gulde, Vincent

Class 1A

Back of the year
Alvin Henderson, Elba
Ziquayvion Jackson, McKenzie
Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley

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Lineman of the year
Fred Curry, Georgiana
Hayes Farrell, Donoho
Tim Parnell, Leroy

AISA

Back of the year
Julian Curry, Wilcox Academy
Gerrell Perry, Banks Academy
Luke Tarver, Chambers Academy

Lineman of the year
Jackson Boykin, South Choctaw Academy
Ashton Yelder, Lowndes Academy
Asher Young, Fort Dale Academy

The Alabama Sports Writers Association is a professional organization for sports writers and editors throughout the state, or any person involved in disseminating sports information or publicity in Alabama including but not limited to sports information personnel, publicists of professional organizations or facilities, or publicists of non-profit organizations sponsoring or governing sporting events. The ASWA is a non-profit organization.

The ASWA prep committee’s primary responsibilities include conducting regular top-10 rankings of a variety of high school sports, and select all-state teams in those sports as well. The committee will determine the winner of a variety of annual awards including the annual Mr. Football winner, and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award. For more information, check out: ASWA

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See Also 2024 Alabama High School All-State Football Selections



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3 former Alabama high school stars return to NFL rosters

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3 former Alabama high school stars return to NFL rosters


Three Alabama high school alumni will wake up on Christmas morning on NFL rosters after starting Christmas eve out of the league.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville High School) to their active roster, the Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High School, Alabama) to their practice squad and the Miami Dolphins signed defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy High School) to their practice squad.

Each of the players rejoined a team they had played for this season.

An eight-year veteran with 105 NFL regular-season games and 58 starts in his career, Morrow played in 11 games for Buffalo before the Bills released him on Dec. 7.

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A seven-year veteran with 87 NFL regular-season games and 68 starts in his career, Evans played in two games for Atlanta before being waived on Saturday. This is the third time the Falcons have signed Evans for their practice squad this season. He joined the team on Oct. 1, was released on Oct. 12, re-signed on Oct. 21 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 1.

A three-year veteran with 19 NFL regular-season games in his career, Farrell played in seven games for Miami before being waived on Saturday. Farrell joined the Dolphins’ practice squad on Sept. 26 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 11.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.





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How to Watch the ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan

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How to Watch the ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan


Alabama and Michigan played in a bowl game on the first day of 2024 and will play in another on the final day of 2024, there’s just not as much as statke this time. The Crimson Tide and Wolverines are becoming familiar postseason foes, meeting in a bowl game for the third time in the last six seasons with this year’s matchup in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

Both teams will be without several players because of injuries and the transfer portal, but it will be another game between two of the most storied programs in college football history. Alabama and Michigan both had disappointing seasons relative to their standards but are coming off wins over bitter rivals in the final game of the regular season.

Here’s what you need to know about the seaon finale in Year 1 for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama:

Who: Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. Michigan (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten)

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What: ReliaQuest Bowl

When: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. CT

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: ESPN

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts).

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Sirius XM: Away 191, Home 372

Series: Tied, 3-3

Last meeting: The two teams met last postseason in the Rose Bowl as the semifinal for the College Football Playoff. Michigan won 27-20 in overtime and went on to win the national championship. Alabama led for almost the whole fourth quarter, but let Michigan go on a 75-yard drive in the final few minutes of regulation to tie the game up. The Wolverines got the ball first in overtime and were in the end zone two plays later. Jalen Milroe was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 3 to give Michigan the win.

Last time out, Alabama: Alabama handled business in the Iron Bowl against Auburn with a 28-14 victory despite turning the ball over four times. Milroe had 256 yards through the air and another 104 on the ground with three more rushing touchdowns.

Last time out, Michigan: The Wolverines had one of the biggest upsets of the college football season, knocking off bitter rival No. 2 Ohio State on the road. Michigan stifled the Buckeye offense on the way to the 13-10 win. Dominic Zvada hit the game-winning field goal with 45 seconds left for the Wolverines.

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