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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

Concerning Video of Former Alabama LB Surfaces

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Concerning Video of Former Alabama LB Surfaces


A concerning video has surfaced allegedly featuring former Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis.

On Saturday, OnlyFans model MIA💞 on X posted an explicit video of a female chasing a male down a hallway in a hotel. The video includes a naked woman chasing after a man she alleges to be Lewis with the caption “We got a runner”. If you choose to view the video, you can watch it here on her X account.

In the post, Mia alleges that the individual in the video is former Alabama and current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Terrell Lewis. Lewis went private on social media.

Lewis was a five-star, top-100 prospect from St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C when he signed with Alabama in 2016.

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Lewis was instrumental in the Crimson Tide’s 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship win over the Georgia Bulldogs, with a crucial sack of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in overtime.

Lewis finished his collegiate career with 58 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 26 games played at Alabama. He was drafted No. 84 (Round 3) by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2020 NFL draft. He was a member of the Rams Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Lewis spent the 2023 season with the Chicago Bears but did not record any stats. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 Free Agency cycle and is currently a member of the team.

This story will be updated as more details become available, or when Lewis responds to a request for a comment. 

Wyatt Fulton is the Brand Manager and DME for Tide 100.9, serving as an on-air host from 11:00 a.m. to noon CT every weekday and Sports Reporter covering Alabama Football and Alabama Men’s Basketball. For more coverage, follow him at @FultonW_ on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter. 

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Why did Colby Shelton transfer from Alabama to Florida? Shortstop has helped Gators reach CWS

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Why did Colby Shelton transfer from Alabama to Florida? Shortstop has helped Gators reach CWS


Florida softball hit the lottery when adding an Alabama shortstop transfer, Skylar Wallace. It appears Kevin O’Sullivan and Florida baseball have, as well, with Colby Shelton.

After breaking the Crimson Tide record for home runs by a freshman with 25, third baseman Shelton left Tuscaloosa for Gainesville. Shelton has played an essential role in getting the unseeded Gators through the Stillwater Regional and Clemson Super Regional and back to the College World Series for the second straight season.

MORE: Buy College World Series tickets with StubHub

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The Florida shortstop has hammered 21 home runs, 55 RBI, and 58 runs scored while playing strong defense at shortstop for the Gators. Florida, the lone unseeded team in the CWS, is scheduled to play Texas A&M at 7 p.m. Saturday to open the CWS. A big part of why Shelton transferred to Florida was to try and win a national championship, which the Gators last did in 2017 and finished as runners-up last season.

“The Gators had a great season last year,” Shelton said. “This year, the goal is to win a natty.”

Here’s what you need to know about why Shelton transferred from Alabama to Florida, along with his stats and 2024 MLB Draft status:

Why did Colby Shelton transfer from Alabama to Florida?

Shelton decided to transfer from Alabama following the firing of coach Brad Bohannon. Bohannon was fired last May after he was found to have provided information about his team to bettors.

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As a freshman, Shelton hit for a .300 batting average with 61 hits and 51 RBIs, mainly playing third base. His 25 home runs set an Alabama freshman record and tied for the third-most in Crimson Tide single-season history. His 25 home runs as a freshman tied Georgia’s Charlie Condon for most in SEC history for a freshman. His play earned many accolades, including a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team and first-team Freshman All-America honors from D1Baseball.com.

“There was a whole new coaching staff at Alabama,” Shelton said. “I came here so that I could better my skill set.”

Shelton entered the transfer portal on June 14, 2023, and found his home in Gainesville with the Gators on June 22, 2023, while the Gators were still playing in Omaha for the CWS. The transfer also allowed him to shift from third base to shortstop with the Gators.

“Florida is a big-time school. With all of the guys that we have here and all of the postseason accolades of the team, this seemed like the best spot to be,” Shelton said.

Colby Shelton high school, recruiting

Shelton was a star at Bloomingdale High in Lithia, Florida, just two hours from Gainesville. He helped lead Bloomingdale to the Florida Class 6A state title in 2021 with a .405 batting average, seven doubles, a triple and five home runs across 27 games as a junior. He earned first-team all-conference honors as both a junior and senior.

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As a recruit, Shelton was ranked as the No. 4 shortstop and No. 27 player overall in the state, according to Perfect Game, and was listed as the No. 83 player on Perfect Game’s ‘Top 500 Incoming Freshmen’ list for 2022-23.

Colby Shelton stats

Here’s a look at Shelton’s year-by-year stats:

  • 2023 (Alabama): .300 batting average, .419 on-base percentage, 25 home runs, 51 RBI, 49 runs scored, 1.148 OPS (59 games played)
  • 2024 (Florida): .257 batting average, .379 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, 55 RBI, 58 runs scored, .943 OPS (62 games played)
  • Career: .277 batting average, .397 on-base percentage, 46 home runs, 106 RBI, 107 runs scored, 1.037 OPS (121 games played)

Is Colby Shelton draft eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft?

Despite being listed as a sophomore and part of the 2022 recruiting class, Shelton is eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft, which takes place during the All-Star break. MLB.com has Shelton ranked as the No. 135 overall prospect in the class.

Here’s the MLB.com scouting report on Shelton:

“Shelton’s carrying tool remains the power in his left-handed bat. When he showed up last fall with a more flattened out stroke, rather than his previous swing, which was much steeper in the zone, there was hope he might show more barrel consistency. He doesn’t have elite-level bat speed, but there’s at least average power for him to get to, and while the pop has shown up to an extent, the strikeout rate has hovered around the 25 percent he posted at Alabama. He does draw some walks to help offset it a little, but scouts are concerned about his ability to make enough contact to reach his power consistently.”

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Class of 2025 Punter Commits to Alabama Football

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Class of 2025 Punter Commits to Alabama Football


The Alabama Crimson Tide continues its momentum on the recruiting trail by accepting the commitment of specialist Alex Asparuhov.

Asparuhov, considered the No. 3 punter in the Class of 2025 by specialist expert Jamie Kohl, announced his commitment on his social media on Saturday while taking an official visit to Tuscaloosa.

He becomes the Crimson Tide’s first specialist in the class and brings Alabama to 15 total commits in its No. 3 ranked Class of 2025. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound kicker and punter is out of San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, Calif.

Kohl describes Asparuhov as the most fundamentally sound punter in the class grading out as a 5-star punter at his camps. He had scholarship offers from Oklahoma and Florida in addition to Alabama.

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As a junior, he appeared in 10 games making 32 punts for 1,392 total yards averaging 43.5 yards per punt with a long of 68-yards, downing 14 inside the 20-yard line. He also had 21 touchbacks off the kicking tee on 34 kickoffs. He made 15 of 17 extra point attempts and converted six of nine field goal tries with a long of 42 yards.



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