Currently 36 states in the US have the death penalty on their books, including liberal states such as New York and Maryland, while only 14 are without death rows (plus Washington, DC). read more
Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the United States, currently used by 31 states, the federal government, and the military. Its existence can be traced to the beginning of the American colonies. read more
Capital punishment is politically popular in many states, which is why most states have the death penalty on the books. However, in states with death penalty laws, they're not always used. We have a death penalty law in Pennsylvania, where I live, but nobody's been executed in this state since 1999. read more