Use of Federal Death Penalty Growing in New York State

The federal government is bringing back the death penalty to New York. The death penalty was ruled unconstitutional in 2004. However, New York currently has over 50 death-eligible cases awaiting authorization by the U.S. Attorney General’s office, more potential federal death penalty cases in the pipeline than any other state.

"In the 20 years since the federal death penalty statute was revived, no federal juries have been more reluctant to sentence federal defendants to death than those in New York. According to records compiled by the Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel Project, which coordinates the defense of capital punishment cases, federal prosecutors in New York State have asked juries to impose death sentences 19 times since 1988. In only one case did a jury rule for execution." (Aversion to Death Penalty, But No Lack of Cases, New York Times 3/10/2008).