Key facts
- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced his support for abolishing the death penalty.
- DeWine stated that data indicates the death penalty is no longer a deterrent to violent crime.
- He has repeatedly postponed scheduled executions due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs.
- DeWine called on the legislature to abolish the death penalty or allow voters to decide.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that the state should abolish the death penalty, stating that data indicates it is no longer a deterrent to violent crime. DeWine, who helped write the state's capital punishment law 45 years ago, cited a decline in executions and an increase in time spent on death row.
DeWine has not authorized an execution since taking office and has repeatedly delayed scheduled executions due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs. He noted that the last 10 people executed had been on death row between 14 and 32 years, and that since 1981, 56 individuals sentenced to death were executed, while 41 died by natural causes or suicide on death row, and 89 sentences were removed due to judicial action.
The governor called on the legislature to abolish the death penalty or to allow Ohioans to vote on the issue. He acknowledged that some victims' families support the death penalty, while others object for various reasons. DeWine emphasized that the most important way to protect the public is to incarcerate violent criminals.
Former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who resigned this month, had called for executions to resume. Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy supports the death penalty in the most egregious cases with absolute certainty. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton stated she would respect Ohio's current moratorium and consider the issue further.