Useful Information About Death Penalty Trials FDPRC has undertaken the collection of comprehensive, accurate data concerning various practices and procedures that have emerged since the federal courts resumed trying capital cases in 1990. This information, together with some facts about federal capital cases, such as the race of the defendants and victims, the number of cases tried each year, and the names of the judges presiding over each trial, has proved useful in a variety of contexts. This collection of information is set out in a series of tables:
Top Ten Federal Death Penalty Districts, Authorized Cases, August 14, 2007 Federal Capital Defendants – Trials and Authorizations by Calendar Year
Authorized Federal Capital Defendants Chart Graphical Representaion.
Authorized Cases Under the 1994 Act All the cases authorized for prosecution as capital cases under 18 U.S.C. § 3591, et seq.
Number and Disposition of Defendants by Year of Indictment The number of cases authorized each year, together with the disposition or present status of those cases set out by year of indictment
Trials and Outcomes by Fiscal Year The authorized cases that went to trial each year are listed by the fiscal year in which the trial began and by defendant with the date of disposition and the sentence imposed
Case Processing and Management Information in Death-Sentence Cases Relevant case processing and management information – dates of indictment, death penalty notice, guilt verdict, and penalty verdict in the trial court; page limitations of briefs, and dates of appellate filings, oral arguments, orders, and opinions in the appellate court for all cases in which death sentences were imposed
Judges and Clerks in Authorized Cases The names and addresses of the judges and the clerks of court in all authorized cases
Aggravating Factors Alleged The aggravating circumstances alleged in each authorized case
Statutory Mitigation Findings The statutory mitigating circumstances found by the jury in
each authorized case that went to a sentencing verdict
Non-Statutory Mitigation Findings The non-statutory mitigating circumstances found by the jury in each authorized case that went to a sentencing verdict
Severance of Defendants in
Authorized Death Penalty Cas
es Whether co-defendants sought severance and the results of severance motions in all authorized cases
Severance of Defendants in Completed Death Penalty Trials Whether co-defendants sought severance and the results of severance motions in all authorized cases that went to trial
Preparation Time The amount of time between indictment, death penalty notice, and trial for each authorized case
Voir Dire Certain jury selection procedures – individual voir dire on the death penalty, attorney participation in voir dire, and the use of juror questionnaires – are canvassed for all authorized cases
Race
and Gender of Defendants and Victims The race and gender of the defendant(s) and victim(s), together with the alleged role of the defendant(s) in the crime and the verdict or disposition in the case, are set out for all authorized cases |
