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Thu Sep 4,11:37 PM ET
SALT LAKE CITY - Hoping to clear the way for eliminating the firing squad as a means of execution, a Utah commission asked for and received a statement from the Mormon church saying it does not oppose the change.
In a one-sentence statement provided Wednesday to the Utah Sentencing Commission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it "has no objection to the elimination of the firing squad in Utah."
The clarification was needed, according to one commission member, because of a purported church doctrine that held that justice was not done unless a murderer's blood was shed.
The Mormon statement removes a significant obstacle in Utah's effort to do away with firing-squad executions.
Commission member Paul Boyden said recent letters to the editor to newspapers indicate some in Mormon-dominated Utah still believe the firing squad is necessary for religious reasons. Commission members feared that belief could hurt the chances of the proposed change in the Legislature.
"If we hadn't (asked for the church's position), this probably would have been a question among some legislators and it may have not made it out of committee," Boyden said.
The commission is studying the issue and plans to formally recommend eliminating the firing squad, leaving injection as Utah's only method of execution. Commission members want to make the change quickly to stop the "media circus" that surrounds firing squad executions, Boyden said.
Utah is the only state that uses the firing squad method, although Idaho and Oklahoma retain it as an option if other methods are not viable.
Utah's last execution by firing squad took place in 1996. Two death row inmates who had chosen that method had been scheduled to die in June, but those executions were delayed.
Jurisdictions that Authorize
Lethal Injection
37 states + U.S. Military and U.S. Gov't
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,Georgia, Idaho, Illinois,Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,Missouri, Montana, Nevada,New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,Texas, Utah, Virginia,Washington, Wyoming, U.S. Military, U.S. Government
Electrocution
10 states (Nebraska is the only state that requires electrocution)
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, [Illinois], Kentucky,Nebraska, [Oklahoma], South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
Gas Chamber
5 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
Arizona, California, Maryland, Missouri, [Wyoming]
Hanging
2 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
New Hampshire, Washington
Firing Squad
3 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
Idaho, [Oklahoma], Utah*
----------------------------------------------------------
Alabama
Effective 7/1/02, lethal injection will be administered unless the inmate requests electrocution.
Arizona
Authorizes lethal injection for persons sentenced after 11/15/92; those sentenced before that date may select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Arkansas
Authorizes lethal injection for persons committing a capital offense after 7/4/83; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution.
California
Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests lethal gas.
Colorado
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Connecticut
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Delaware
Lethal Injection is the sole method. Hanging was an alternative for those whose offense occurred prior to 6/13/86, but as of July 2003 no inmates on death row were elligible to choose this alternative and Delaware dismantled its gallows.
Florida
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Georgia
Lethal injection is the sole method. (On October 5, 2001, the Georgia Supreme Court held that the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment and struck down the state's use of the method)
Idaho
Authorizes firing squad only if lethal injection is "impractical".
Illinois
Lethal injection is the state's method. However, it authorizes electrocution if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
Indiana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kansas
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kentucky
Authorizes lethal injection for those convicted after March 31, 1998; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution
Louisiana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Maryland
Authorizes lethal injection for those whose capital offenses occurred on or after 3/25/94; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Mississippi
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Missouri
Authorizes lethal injection or lethal gas; the statute leaves unclear who decides what method to use, the inmate or the Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Montana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Nebraska
Electrocution is the sole method.
Nevada
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New Hampshire
Authorizes hanging only if lethal injection cannot be given.
New Jersey
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New Mexico
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New York
Lethal injection is the sole method.
North Carolina
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Ohio
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Oklahoma
Authorizes electrocution if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional and firing squad if both lethal injection and electrocution are held unconstitutional.
Oregon
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Pennsylvania
Lethal injection is the sole method.
South Carolina
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
South Dakota
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Tennessee
Authorizes lethal injection for those sentenced after Jan. 1, 1999; others choose between the electric chair and lethal injection.
Texas
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Utah
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and firing squad.
Virginia
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Washington
Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests hanging.
Wyoming
Authorizes lethal gas if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
U.S. Military
Lethal injection is the sole method
U.S. Government
The method of execution of Federal prisoners for offenses under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is that of the state in which the conviction took place, pursuant to 18 USC 3596. If the state has no death penalty, the judge may chose the method of another state. For offenses under the 1988 Drug Kingpin Law, the method of executions is lethal injection, pursuant to 28 CFR, Part 26.
SALT LAKE CITY - Hoping to clear the way for eliminating the firing squad as a means of execution, a Utah commission asked for and received a statement from the Mormon church saying it does not oppose the change.
In a one-sentence statement provided Wednesday to the Utah Sentencing Commission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it "has no objection to the elimination of the firing squad in Utah."
The clarification was needed, according to one commission member, because of a purported church doctrine that held that justice was not done unless a murderer's blood was shed.
The Mormon statement removes a significant obstacle in Utah's effort to do away with firing-squad executions.
Commission member Paul Boyden said recent letters to the editor to newspapers indicate some in Mormon-dominated Utah still believe the firing squad is necessary for religious reasons. Commission members feared that belief could hurt the chances of the proposed change in the Legislature.
"If we hadn't (asked for the church's position), this probably would have been a question among some legislators and it may have not made it out of committee," Boyden said.
The commission is studying the issue and plans to formally recommend eliminating the firing squad, leaving injection as Utah's only method of execution. Commission members want to make the change quickly to stop the "media circus" that surrounds firing squad executions, Boyden said.
Utah is the only state that uses the firing squad method, although Idaho and Oklahoma retain it as an option if other methods are not viable.
Utah's last execution by firing squad took place in 1996. Two death row inmates who had chosen that method had been scheduled to die in June, but those executions were delayed.
Jurisdictions that Authorize
Lethal Injection
37 states + U.S. Military and U.S. Gov't
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,Georgia, Idaho, Illinois,Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,Missouri, Montana, Nevada,New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,Texas, Utah, Virginia,Washington, Wyoming, U.S. Military, U.S. Government
Electrocution
10 states (Nebraska is the only state that requires electrocution)
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, [Illinois], Kentucky,Nebraska, [Oklahoma], South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
Gas Chamber
5 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
Arizona, California, Maryland, Missouri, [Wyoming]
Hanging
2 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
New Hampshire, Washington
Firing Squad
3 states (all have lethal injection as an alternative method)
Idaho, [Oklahoma], Utah*
----------------------------------------------------------
Alabama
Effective 7/1/02, lethal injection will be administered unless the inmate requests electrocution.
Arizona
Authorizes lethal injection for persons sentenced after 11/15/92; those sentenced before that date may select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Arkansas
Authorizes lethal injection for persons committing a capital offense after 7/4/83; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution.
California
Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests lethal gas.
Colorado
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Connecticut
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Delaware
Lethal Injection is the sole method. Hanging was an alternative for those whose offense occurred prior to 6/13/86, but as of July 2003 no inmates on death row were elligible to choose this alternative and Delaware dismantled its gallows.
Florida
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Georgia
Lethal injection is the sole method. (On October 5, 2001, the Georgia Supreme Court held that the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment and struck down the state's use of the method)
Idaho
Authorizes firing squad only if lethal injection is "impractical".
Illinois
Lethal injection is the state's method. However, it authorizes electrocution if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
Indiana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kansas
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kentucky
Authorizes lethal injection for those convicted after March 31, 1998; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution
Louisiana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Maryland
Authorizes lethal injection for those whose capital offenses occurred on or after 3/25/94; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Mississippi
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Missouri
Authorizes lethal injection or lethal gas; the statute leaves unclear who decides what method to use, the inmate or the Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Montana
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Nebraska
Electrocution is the sole method.
Nevada
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New Hampshire
Authorizes hanging only if lethal injection cannot be given.
New Jersey
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New Mexico
Lethal injection is the sole method.
New York
Lethal injection is the sole method.
North Carolina
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Ohio
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Oklahoma
Authorizes electrocution if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional and firing squad if both lethal injection and electrocution are held unconstitutional.
Oregon
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Pennsylvania
Lethal injection is the sole method.
South Carolina
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
South Dakota
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Tennessee
Authorizes lethal injection for those sentenced after Jan. 1, 1999; others choose between the electric chair and lethal injection.
Texas
Lethal injection is the sole method.
Utah
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and firing squad.
Virginia
Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Washington
Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests hanging.
Wyoming
Authorizes lethal gas if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
U.S. Military
Lethal injection is the sole method
U.S. Government
The method of execution of Federal prisoners for offenses under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is that of the state in which the conviction took place, pursuant to 18 USC 3596. If the state has no death penalty, the judge may chose the method of another state. For offenses under the 1988 Drug Kingpin Law, the method of executions is lethal injection, pursuant to 28 CFR, Part 26.
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