Capital punishment in Delaware

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Capital punishment in Delaware

Delaware formally abolished the death penalty in 2024, but it had not been used since a Delaware Supreme Court ruling in 2016 declared the state’s death‑penalty statute unconstitutional. The ruling also meant that death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

Key points:
- History: Delaware first abolished capital punishment in 1959, then reinstated it in 1961. From 1976 to 2012, 16 people were executed in the state; the last execution occurred in 2012. The state adopted lethal injection as the default method in 1986, and gallows were dismantled in 2003.
- 2016 ruling: The Delaware Supreme Court found parts of the capital punishment process unconstitutional because a judge, not a jury, made key decisions. This led to death‑row inmates having their sentences reduced or commuted to life.
- Death row: In 2016 there were 13 inmates on death row. By 2018, the last two inmates were resentenced to life in prison.
- Public opinion: In 2015, about 64% of Delaware residents opposed the death penalty.
- Full repeal: In June 2024, both houses passed legislation to remove the death penalty from Delaware law. Governor John Carney signed the bill in September 2024, fully repealing the death penalty.