Key facts
- Florida is scheduled to perform its first double execution since 1964 on Tuesday.
- James Duckett and Dominick Occhicone are set to be executed by lethal injection.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen an accelerated pace of executions in Florida.
- Critics cite secrecy and potential protocol violations as concerns.
- Both condemned inmates were sentenced by non-unanimous juries.
Florida is preparing to conduct its first double execution in a single day since 1964, with James Duckett, 68, and Dominick Occhicone, 80, scheduled to die by lethal injection on Tuesday. This rare event underscores a significant increase in executions under Governor Ron DeSantis, with Florida carrying out 19 executions last year and 10 so far this year, far surpassing other states.
Experts like Robin Maher of the Death Penalty Information Center have expressed bewilderment at the decision, citing the secrecy that surrounds Florida's execution process. Matt Wells of Reprieve US warned that haste increases the risk of torturous deaths and highlighted reports of Florida violating its own execution protocols, including the use of expired drugs. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has previously described the state's secrecy as 'intolerable'.
Both Duckett and Occhicone have cases with complicating factors. Occhicone, convicted of murdering his former girlfriend's parents, would be the oldest prisoner executed in Florida's history. Duckett, a former police officer, maintains his innocence in the murder of an 11-year-old girl, with DNA evidence being inconclusive. Notably, neither inmate's jury unanimously recommended the death sentence, with Occhicone's jury voting seven to five and Duckett's eight to four.
The surge in executions in Florida is part of a broader trend in some southern US states, which are facing difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs. This has led to the revival of methods like the firing squad in some jurisdictions. Additionally, the reliability of forensic techniques, such as bite mark analysis, continues to be questioned, leading to exonerations.