By Marshall Dayan The modern death penalty in the United States turned 50 on July 2, 2026. In Gregg v. Georgia, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty after having struck down 539 death sentences across the country...

"A Pennsylvania House committee on Monday passed a pair of bills that would abolish capital punishment in the commonwealth, potentially ending decades of limbo in which death sentences have been handed down but not carried out." “There are no take-backs,” with the...

Today, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without the possibility of parole for second degree murder violates the state constitution. Chief Justice Todd writes for the majority: "In this appeal by allowance, we granted allocatur to consider...

By The Editorial Board The use of the death penalty has risen sharply in the United States, with more executions in 2025 than any year since 2009. It is a cruel and unjust development. In theory, the death penalty is reserved for “the worst of the worst.” In practice,...

By Jim Moreno Last month, Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack resolved the 2021 killing of Kendell Jerome Cook at a Carlisle barbershop with a plea deal. Michael Anthony Baltimore Jr. admitted guilt and received 15 to 30 years for third-degree...

In December, Pennsylvanians Against the Death Penalty collaborated on a press briefing with our partners Witness to Innocence, Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, and Death Penalty Policy Project. These are some highlights.   "Shapiro 'is taking the kind...