Ask Amnesty

Questions on the Death Penalty

From Kim, Staunton, Virginia:

I recently came across a U.S. map which had pictures on each state representing what types of execution were legal in that state. I noticed that some states still had the firing squad as a legitimate means of execution. I was just wondering if any state actually still uses firing squads, or if there are just old laws on the books saying that it is legal to use them. Thank you.

The Program to Abolish the Death Penalty responds.

A firing squad still remains a legitimate method of execution in Utah and Idaho. Although each allows lethal injection as an alternative method, only Utah allows an inmate to choose this method. In Idaho, the Director of the Department of Corrections makes a decision about using a firing squad, if a lethal injection is “impractical”. In addition, Oklahoma authorizes execution by a method of firing squad in cases where both of the other methods legally used in this state, lethal injection and electrocution, are held unconstitutional.

The most recent execution by the method of firing squad was that of John Albert Taylor. By his own choosing, Taylor was executed by firing squad in Utah on January 26, 1996.

More Information:

• Methods of Execution in the US