The slowing pace of executions

Constituting (in my view) a remarkable development, the Death Penalty Information Center is reporting here that "the last six executions scheduled for 2004 have all been granted stays by various courts and governors:"

Executions slated in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Texas, Maryland and North Carolina were halted for review of claims regarding possible innocence, mental disabilities, execution procedures, and other issues. The last execution occurred on November 17 in Texas. No other state has an execution scheduled for 2004.

The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has more details on some of these stays here.  Among other newsworthy aspects of this development, these stays mean that, according to DPIC data, there will only have been 59 total executions in the United States in 2004, the lowest number in nearly a decade. 

The decline in the number of executions provides another piece of statistical evidence suggesting that the death penalty is on the decline in the United States (other statistical evidence can be found here and here).  It also makes me extra excited to be heading now to this workshop in which David Jacobs, Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University, will speak on "Survival on Death Row: Exploring Individual, Conflict, and Political Explanations for Executions."