ARIZONA LEADERS PRIORITIZE EXECUTIONS OVER CRITICAL REFORMS AND SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS’ FAMILIES

Phoenix, AZ — The recent announcement to resume executions in Arizona reflects a troubling disregard for the state’s pressing challenges and the needs of victims’ families. While we offer our deepest condolences to the family of Ted Price, we are disheartened by the lack of meaningful support and resources provided to help them heal from such a tragic loss…

November 26th, 2024

Arizona is preparing to resume executions after a suspension initiated last year by Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes to review the state's capital punishment procedures. Mayes announced plans to seek a death warrant for Aaron Gunches, sentenced to death for the murder of Ted Price, by early 2025, citing confidence in improved policies. However, the review, led by retired Judge David Duncan, was cut short after Gov. Hobbs criticized his overreach beyond policy recommendations. Previous executions in Arizona were marred by challenges in IV insertion, prompting criticism of the state's process. Mayes has faced pressure from Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell for delays in resuming the death penalty, but she emphasized her commitment to justice for victims and their families.

June 5th, 2024

“Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said she plans to ask the Arizona Supreme Court for a warrant of execution, a process normally handled by the attorney general.

It is unclear if a county attorney has the power to request a death warrant. But Mitchell, who is running for re-election, said Wednesday that she believes she can "as an attorney who acts on behalf of the state."

The announcement is the latest move in a pressure campaign by Mitchell to resume the death penalty.”

May 17th, 2024

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes plans to resume executions in early 2025, ending a two-year pause initiated by her and Governor Katie Hobbs to review execution procedures. This decision, communicated in a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, has reignited tensions between the two officials. Mayes expects the review to conclude soon and emphasized the need for transparent and lawful executions. There are 112 people on Arizona's death row. Mitchell criticized Mayes for the delay and questioned her motives, particularly regarding the handling of former ADCRR Director Charles Ryan's case.

The article delves into the complex issue of severe mental illness and the death penalty, using the case of Andre Lee Thomas as an illustration. It underscores the lack of clear U.S. Supreme Court guidelines on this matter and highlights initiatives in states like Ohio and Kentucky to exclude mentally ill individuals from capital punishment. The challenges in legally defining mental illness and the moral dilemmas surrounding the medication of mentally ill prisoners are discussed. In the context of Arizona, the article notes the introduction of a bill akin to those in Ohio and Kentucky, reflecting a growing awareness of the intricate relationship between mental health and the death penalty.

July 6th, 2023

”The announcement is a significant shift for the state. After three botched executions in 2022, Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes put executions on hold after they took office in January.

Thornell's comments have raised new questions about the future of the death penalty in Arizona — and prompted renewed calls for transparency from the embattled agency. Currently, 110 people are on death row in the state.”

June 15th, 2023

“Barry Jones was released from prison Thursday after spending 29 years on death row. The first thing he did was reunite with his family.

A grassroots organization, Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona, tells us there have been 11 people exonerated from death row statewide, including Jones.”

June 15th, 2023

“A man who’s been on death row since the 1990s should soon be free after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in Pima County Superior Court on Thursday.

The murder conviction of Barry Jones was thrown out in 2018 by a federal judge but then the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated it last year.

Jones was convicted of killing his girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter.

But his trial lawyer did no investigation and missed medical evidence that would have cleared Jones of the most serious charge.

Then the lawyer Jones had while facing the death penalty failed to review what his first defense lawyer did. Kat Jutras is with Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona.

“We as an organization are thrilled that Barry is getting another chance at life. He’s been locked up since he was 34 years old and he is now 64,” Jutras said.”

Part V

April 28th, 2023

Aaron Gunches was involved in a violent incident in 2002 where a man died. The altercation occurred when Gunches' girlfriend's ex-boyfriend overstayed his welcome and a physical fight broke out. Gunches decided to drive the man out of town but lacked money for a bus fare, so he took him to the desert instead. There, Gunches shot the man four times in the back of the head and fled, he was later arrested after shooting and injuring a police officer during a traffic stop in La Paz County. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder for that incident and later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the desert killing in Maricopa County. In 2007, he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was overturned in 2010 by the Arizona Supreme Court, which raised concerns about the cruelty of the murder. …

Part IV

April 27th, 2023

Executions are solemn yet absurd rituals that involve a range of witnesses, including the condemned person's guests, lawyers, and clergy, victims' families, and government officials. Journalists are also present, with one representative each from print, wire, TV, radio, and the jurisdiction where the murder took place. A reporter describes his fifth and final execution as a journalist, which left a deep impression because of the use of a new killer formula mixing midazolam and hydromorphone that resulted in the condemned person convulsing and exhaling forcefully during the execution. The use of midazolam in executions has raised concerns because it is not an anesthetic but a muscle relaxant and sedative. The article also highlights the different reactions of witnesses to executions.

Part III

April 26th, 2023

This article is about the experiences with death row prisoners in Arizona, and their humanity. Murderers do not always appear to be "scary," but instead look and talk like anyone else. Many death row prisoners in Arizona are there for one-off crimes, rather than being career criminals. The article focuses on Robert Towery, a man who was executed in 2012 for the murder of a philanthropist. Towery had written letters to his attorney, expressing remorse for his crime, and discussing his life on death row. The article provides some insight into the thoughts and emotions of a death row prisoner as he awaits execution.

This article discusses witnessing numerous executions in Arizona and the problems and ethical questions that arose during these events. Issues surrounding the personnel who perform the executions, the drugs used, and the execution protocol are explained more and a deeper understanding of the secrecy is discussed.

Part II

April 25th, 2023

This article discusses the difficulties in obtaining the drug sodium thiopental, which was used in lethal injection protocols for carrying out the death penalty in Arizona. The drug was necessary to render the condemned person unconscious before administering other drugs that stopped their heart. However, obtaining the drug became difficult due to manufacturing issues and scarcity of the alternative drug propofol. Furthermore, the drug could not be imported from other countries as it was grandfathered into use without testing or formal approval. The article highlights the efforts made by attorneys to ensure that the drug was obtained from reputable sources and the controversial issue of the death penalty.

Part 1: Witness to an execution

April 24th, 2023

This article is a personal account of Michael Kiefer experiences covering executions in Arizona with contributions from Dale Baich, former head of Capital Habeas Unit at the Federal Defenders Office in Phoenix . Michael witnessed the execution of Robert Comer, who had been sentenced to death for killing a man and raping a woman. The author notes the surreal nature of executions and the fact that they are carried out with guesswork and last-minute changes, with nameless executioners paid in cash to avoid a paper trail and with medical support teams of dubious competence. The author also highlights the problems with Arizona's history of executing people and the lack of transparency in the state's protocol.

April 1st, 2023

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge, Frank Moskowitz, has ruled that Arizona Governor, Katie Hobbs, and Department of Corrections Director, Dr. Ryan Thornell, must attend court to defend their decision not to execute Aaron Gunches, a death row prisoner.

The victim’s family filed a complaint, arguing that the governor's inaction on a warrant for Gunches' execution violates their rights as crime victims, as outlined in the Arizona Constitution.

March 3rd, 2023

"Under my Administration, an execution will not occur until the people of Arizona can have confidence that the State is not violating the law in carrying out the gravest of penalties," Hobbs said in a statement Friday.

March 2nd, 2023

“The Arizona Supreme Court has granted a warrant of execution for death row prisoner Aaron Gunches, despite Gunches and the Arizona attorney general both asking to withdraw their requests for the warrant.”

Aaron Gunches in November of 2022 requested a warrant for his own execution but later withdrew the request citing concerns for botched executions.

February 24th, 2023

Following Gov. Hobbs Executive Order establishing a Death Penalty Independent Review Commissioner, retired Judge David Duncan has been appointed to review and provide transparency into Arizona’s execution process.

January 20th, 2023

Gov. Hobbs has established a role to increase transparency and accountablity in AZDOC executions and will appoint a commissioner to conduct a comprehensive and independent review of Arizona’s death penalty protocol. This is the 5th executive order issued by Gov. Hobbs.

January 20th, 2023

“Gov. Katie Hobbs wants an outside review of the state’s death penalty process, arguing the recent executions carried out by the Department of Corrections “have resulted in serious questions about ADCRR’s execution protocols and lack of transparency.”

November 23rd, 2023

“On a cold morning last Wednesday, in the execution chamber at the Eyman prison in Florence, Arizona, a 76-year-old named Murray Hooper, convicted of a 1980 double murder, lay strapped to a gurney, awaiting lethal injection.

Officials failed multiple times to place an IV that would deliver the execution drugs, resorting to placing a catheter in the man’s femoral artery, near his groin.

He turned towards the gallery, looked at the witnesses on the other side of the glass, and reportedly said, “Can you believe this?” before being pronounced dead at 10.34am.”

November 16th, 2022

DPAA joined with community organizations BLM Phoenix Metro, Black Lives Matter, and Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty joined together in solidarity at the Arizona State Capitol to protest the execution of Murray Hooper

November 15th , 2022

For a man who is condemned to die, Murray Hooper is still full of life. During an interview on death row Monday, two days before his scheduled execution, he insisted on his innocence. Hooper maintains he is a framed man, the target of a racist system and the blind ambition of those that put him on death row. Now 76, Hopper railed against that system in a small visitation room at the Eyman prison complex in Florence.

November 3, 2022

The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency unanimously rejected a request by death row inmate Murray Hooper for his sentence to be commuted to life in prison on Thursday.

July 19th, 2022

“Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Tuesday that he has notified the state Supreme Court that his office intends to seek a warrant of execution for death row inmate Murray Hooper.

It would be the third execution warrant issued this year in Arizona.”

June 8th, 2022

Reporter Jimmy Jenkins was unable to gain news access to report on the execution but was invited as a witness by Frank Atwood. He reports the execution in detail and reports that Frank Atwood had to instruct his executioners on where to find a vein for the lethal injections.

June 8th, 2022

“Atwood has maintained his innocence and his attorneys had made several bids to have the execution halted in recent weeks.

They made a request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution after a lower court rejected arguments that the execution should be stopped because Atwood's degenerative spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to the gurney he will have to lie on during the lethal injection.”

May 3rd, 2022

“Atwood’s execution is scheduled for June 8. The warrant marks the second the state’s high court has issued since 2014, when executions were put on hold after death row inmates and the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona filed a lawsuit over the execution of Joseph Wood.”

May 11th, 2022

“Arizona executed Clarence Dixon, 66, even though he was blind, physically frail, and had a documented history of severe mental illness. He was also a member of the Navajo Nation, which opposes the death penalty on cultural and religious grounds.
Mr. Dixon was sentenced to death in 2008 for a killing that happened 30 years earlier, while civil commitment proceedings were pending.”

April 5th, 2022

“Jennifer Moreno, Dixon's attorney, said Arizona has a "history of problematic executions."

"The State has had nearly a year to demonstrate that it will not be carrying out executions with expired drugs but has failed to do so," Moreno said. "Under these circumstances, the execution of Mr. Dixon — a severely mentally ill, visually disabled, and physically frail member of the Navajo Nation — is unconscionable.”

August 27th, 2023

Kat Jutras, DPAA’s State Advocacy Director sent a Letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic to support Arizona's victim compensation program. The program helps pay costs related to a crime victim's recovery, but it is woefully underfunded. Abolition advocates can support victims seeking additional financial resources to support healing in the aftermath of crime.

March 3rd, 2023

Dr. David Spence Special to the Arizona Daily Star

In January, Gov. Hobbs and Attorney General Mayes paused executions in Arizona. It is widely known that among the reasons for this much-needed pause was the fact that Arizona had botched at least three executions in 2022.

What many people may not know is that this action was also necessary to protect medical patients from losing access to many life-saving drugs, which was a potential outcome if Arizona continued to violate drugmakers’ business contracts by using their drugs to carry out executions even when that was contractually prohibited. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio paused executions several years ago for very similar reasons….

March 3rd, 2023

Opinion: Arizona's capital punishment system is marred with failures. It's time for the governor and attorney general to permanently end the death penalty.

Michelle Cirocco is chief social responsibility officer for Televerde, a Phoenix-based multinational sales and marketing business, where 70% of the company’s 600-plus employees are incarcerated women. She’s also executive director of Televerde Foundation

“Last month, following a series of botched killings, Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes took much-needed action, ordering a review of Arizona’s use of the death penalty and halting all pending executions.

In her executive order, the governor noted that the state “has a history of executions that have resulted in serious questions about … protocols and lack of transparency.”

I want to thank Gov. Hobbs and Attorney General Mayes for their bold leadership in taking this critical step forward.

Now, we must make these changes permanent.

It’s time to dismantle Arizona’s machinery of death – for good.”

February 14th, 2023

Ray Krone is the co-founder of Witness to Innocence, a national organization of death row exonerees advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.

“I was a 35-year-old military veteran working for the U.S. Postal Service in Phoenix when my life was turned upside down. I was arrested and charged for a crime I knew nothing about. My trial only lasted four days and the jury convicted me after deliberating for only four hours. A Maricopa County judge sentenced me to death in 1992 because I did not show remorse.

I was innocent. How could I show remorse for something I didn’t do?

I spent 10 years in Arizona prisons, including nearly three years on death row. It took a decade to finally get DNA testing — testing that was objected to by the prosecutor’s office — which not only exonerated me but actually identified the true perpetrator. After the court vacated my conviction, the Maricopa County prosecutors dropped the charges, and in 2002, I became the 100th person in the country to be exonerated from death row. Since that time, the number of death row exonerees nationwide has nearly doubled.”

Jan 31, 2023

Amelia Craig Cramer, NAACP Tucson Branch Vice President Retired Chief Deputy Pima County Attorney, Downtown

Letter: Death Penalty Bias

“County Attorney Laura Conover is right to urge that Governor Katie Hobbs’ study of Arizona’s death penalty should be expanded to evaluate biases and inequities within the justice system. These biases and inequities include racial and ethnic disparities, which is why the NAACP has called for elimination of the death penalty.

The book entitled “Arbitrary Death: A Prosecutor’s Perspective on the Death Penalty,” by distinguished former Pima County homicide prosecutor Rick Unklesbay, details the evidentiary facts and procedural processes and outcomes of many capital cases in Arizona and concludes - based upon the evidence and outcomes - that the death penalty has been applied arbitrarily. Arbitrary application of a law is unjust; it violates the guarantees of substantive due process and equal protection of the laws and is therefore unconstitutional…”