Tracking One of the Nation’s Leaders in Capital Punishment

Florida is a national leader in capital punishment and has been for decades. It houses the largest death row population in the country for states that continue executions. In recent years, Florida has consistently imposed the highest number of death sentences in the country.

Florida is also among a very small group of states that continue to conduct executions. In February 2023, Florida completed its 100th execution since the death penalty was reinstituted following Furman v. Georgia in 1976.

Despite national opinion moving toward abolition, Florida continues in the opposite direction. In the 2023 legislative session, the Florida Legislature passed several bills that expanded capital punishment in the state.

This Substack tracks capital punishment in the state, including proposed legislation, trials, caselaw updates, and executions.

For breaking news updates, follow along on Twitter, too.

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2023

*Note that the information for 2023 may not be complete, as it only goes back to when TFDP was started.

Death Warrants in 2023

1. Donald Dillbeck - Executed February 23, 2023 (Warrant January 23, 2023)

2. Louis Gaskin - Executed April 12, 2023 (Warrant March 13, 2023)

   1. Read about Gaskin’s case here.

   2. Read about Gaskin’s execution here.

3. Darryl Barwick - Executed May 3, 2023 (Warrant April 3, 2023)

   1. Read about Barwick’s case here.

   2. Read about Barwick’s execution here.

4. Duane Owen - Executed June 15, 2023 (Warrant May 9, 2023)

   1. Read about Owen’s case here.

   2. Four-part series on the history of Owen’s mental illness:

      1. Part I

      2. Part II

      3. Part III

      4. Part IV

   3. Read about Owen’s execution here.

5. James Barnes - Executed August 3, 2023 (Warrant June 22, 2023)

   1. Read about Barnes’s case here.

   2. Two-part series on Barnes’s life: Part I and Part II

   3. Read about Barnes’s execution here.

6. Michael D. Zack, III - Executed October 3, 2023 (Warrant August 17, 2023)

   1. Read about Zack’s case here.

   2. Read about Zack’s execution here.

2023 Deaths on Death Row

• Eric K. Patrick (died Dec. 19, 2023)

• Thomas Pope (died Oct. 31, 2023)

• Paul Beasley Johnson (died Sept. 30, 2023)

• Alphonso Cave (died Aug. 3, 2023)

About the Author

After law school, I clerked at the Supreme Court of Florida, which is where I was first exposed to capital punishment in Florida. I am barred in Florida and Washington, D.C. I serve on the Steering Committee and as a volunteer for the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project.

The Reason Behind the Blog

When working at the Supreme Court of Florida from 2016-2019 during Hurst v. Florida, I realized how little society knows about the reality of capital punishment. Since leaving the Court, I have written extensively on capital sentencing and the related constitutional issues. (My law review articles and op-eds can be found on the Resources page.)

My purpose for writing comes from a passion for these issues and the belief that everyone—regardless of their political views—should understand and be educated on the reality of capital punishment if they live in a state or country that retains the death penalty. The purpose for this blog is education, not politics or advocacy.

Disclaimer

This blog reflects my personal views—not my law firm’s, its clients’, or any former employer’s. The transmission of information or communication with me through this site or its Twitter account does not establish or constitute an attorney-client relationship. Nothing posted on TFDP constitutes legal advice.

Want more?

For further reading on topics related to Florida’s capital punishment and how to get involved, check out the Resources tab.

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