Fewer Death Sentences Being Imposed in U.S.

Juries imposed far fewer death sentences in each of the last four years than they did on average over the previous decade, according to a new report. The Death Penalty Information Center, which is to release the report tomorrow, attributes the decline largely to growing public awareness of death-row exonerations and concerns that innocent people might be sentenced to die. In the 1990's, an average of 290 people were sentenced to death each year. For the last four years, the average has been 174. In 2003, there were 143 death sentences issued, the fewest since 1977, the year after the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty. [more ]