First Double Execution in 60 Years

JOINING US. ON TUESDAY, THE STATE OF FLORIDA CARRIED OUT ITS FIRST DOUBLE EXECUTION IN MORE THAN 60 YEARS CONTINUING WHAT HAS BEEN A RAPID INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS IN THE STATE. GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS SIGNED OFF ON 40 DEATH WARRANTS SINCE TAKING OFFICE IN 2019, 30 OF THOSE WARRANTS WERE SIGNED IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. THE 2 MEN EXECUTED ON TUESDAY INCLUDE A FORMER POLICE OFFICER. 68 YEAR-OLD JAMES DUCKETT. HE WAS CONVICTED OF THE KIDNAPPING, RAPE AND MURDER OF A LITTLE GIRL. 11 YEAR-OLD THERESA MAY UK BE BACK IN 1987. 5 HOURS LATER, FLORIDA EXECUTED EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD KEY KONY. HE WAS CONVICTED IN THE DOUBLE MURDER. HIS EX GIRLFRIEND'S PARENTS IN 1986. HIS DEATH MAKES HIM ONE OF THE OLDEST PEOPLE EXECUTED IN MODERN U.S. HISTORY. >> ROBIN MAHER IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER. >> WHICH IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT GROUP. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ARE YOUR GROUP STATES? IT DOES NOT TAKE A POSITION ON THE DEATH PENALTY, BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE IS HAPPENING IN FLORIDA WITH THE INCREASE IN EXECUTIONS BEING CARRIED OUT THIS YEAR? AND WE HAD A RECORD SETTING NUMBER IN 2025. WITH 19 EXECUTIONS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT. >> OR CENTER FOCUS IS ON REPORTING THE FACTS AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE DEATH PENALTY IS BEING USED OR NOT AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. WE DON'T HAVE POLICIES BUT WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR VOTERS AND FOR CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE DOING, HOW THEY'RE SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY WHEN THEY ARE USING THE DEATH PENALTY. FLORIDA IS AN OUTLIER. IT HAS BEEN AN OUTLIER FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. LAST YEAR IT WAS THE LEAD. THE COUNTRY IN THE NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS THIS YEAR. IT APPEARS TO BE ON PACE TO DO THE SAME. ALREADY. IT IS EXECUTED 3 TIMES THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT THE NEXT HIGHEST STATE HAS EXECUTED. SO FLORIDA HAS EXECUTED 12 PEOPLE THIS YEAR, TEXAS, WHICH USED TO BE THE LEADER, HAS EXECUTED 4. WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL IS HAPPENING IN FLORIDA. WE THINK THAT IT IS LARGELY DOWN TO GOVERNOR DESANTIS. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE ALMOST NO OTHER INFORMATION TO GO ON. GOVERNOR DESANTIS ALONE IS THE ONE WHO SELECTS PEOPLE TO BE EXECUTED AND SETS THEIR EXECUTION DATE. UNLIKE OTHER STATES WHERE COURTS HAVE A ROLE IN SETTING THOSE DATES. ONLY GOVERNOR DESANTIS IN HIS SOLE DISCRETION MAKES THOSE DECISIONS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF SECRECY IN FLORIDA. THE PUBLIC IS NOT PERMITTED TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE EXECUTION DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE OR A LOT ABOUT THE EXECUTION TO SOME EXECUTIONS THEMSELVES. SO ALL OF THIS IS RATHER TROUBLING. A PET, PARTICULARLY IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY WHERE WE REALLY PRIZE GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. >> WE HAD A DOUBLE EXECUTION YESTERDAY. HOW UNUSUAL IS THAT? >> VERY UNUSUAL. WE REALLY DON'T SEE DOUBLE EXECUTIONS VERY OFTEN. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE MODERN ERA OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN FLORIDA. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IN FLORIDA WAS BACK IN THE 60'S. AND WHY IS A PROBLEMATIC? WELL, IT PUTS A LOT OF STRESS ON EXECUTION STAFF. IT CERTAINLY INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GO WRONG DURING AN EXECUTION. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY EXECUTIONS, NOT JUST THE PRISONER AND HIS FAMILY OR THE VICTIM'S FAMILY, BUT PRISON STAFF AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALL AFFECTED BY THESE EXECUTIONS AND WON 2 OF THEM HAPPEN ON THE SAME DAY. THAT STRESS IS IS PRETTY INTENSE. >> WE'VE ALSO SEEN A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF SENIOR OR ELDERLY DEATH ROW INMATES BEING EXECUTED OR HAVING THEIR WARRANT SIGNED. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS HAPPENING? >> WELL, ONE REASON IS BECAUSE WE ARE EXECUTING PEOPLE THAT WERE CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH MANY YEARS AGO WHEN THE PUBLIC FELT VERY DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY WHEN THERE WERE DIFFERENT LAWS AND SOMETIMES OVER ZEALOUS PROSECUTORS THAT WE'RE SENDING MORE PEOPLE TO DEATH. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS REALLY KIND OF A LAGGING INDICATOR. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE SEE SENTENCED OR EXECUTED TODAY WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE SENTENCED TO DEATH TODAY IF THEY WERE TRIED. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PEOPLE EXECUTED YESTERDAY WAS AN 80 YEAR-OLD GRANDFATHER. IT'S HIS IMAGE. THE KIND OF PERSON VERY FRAIL, VERY OLD, VERY ELDERLY, NOT THE IMAGE THAT MOST AMERICANS HAVE WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WE ARE EXECUTING TODAY. >> HOW DOES THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT FACTOR INTO WHETHER A DEATH WARRANT IS ACTUALLY SIGNED AND CARRIED OUT. >> WELL, IT SHOULD FACTOR. WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ARE ACTING IN OUR NAME. THEY ARE DOING THE BIDDING OF THE CITIZENS THAT ELECTED THEM. AND SO THEY SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY. AND RIGHT NOW WE KNOW THAT SUPPORT FOR THE DEATH PENALTY IS AT A FIVE-DECADE LOW. JUST 52% OF THE PEOPLE ASKED SAY THEY SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY IN GENERAL, BUT WE HAVE A 3 TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSING THE DEATH PENALTY THAT WE'VE HAD IN MANY DECADES. SO WE SEE CONCERN AND OPPOSITION ON THE RISE AND SUPPORT ON THE DECLINE. AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WE'VE SEEN SENT TO DEATH ROW PEOPLE LIKE POSSIBLY MISTER DUCKETT WHO WAS EXECUTED YESTERDAY. HE HAD UNRESOLVED INNOCENCE CLAIMS THAT THE STATE NEVER RESOLVE BEFORE EXECUTING HIM. AND I THINK A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT FAIRNESS AND RACISM IN THE SYSTEM. >> THERE'S ALSO A BELIEF THAT THE COST OF EXECUTION >> IS HIGHER THAN THE COST OF KEEPING SOMEONE IN PRISON FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THAT? >> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE IN EVERY STATE THAT HAS CONDUCTED U.S. STUDY OF COSTS. EVERY SINGLE STUDY HAS CONCLUDED THAT IT IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO EXECUTE SOMEONE THAN IT IS TO KEEP THEM IN PRISON FOR THE REST OF THEIR NATURAL LIFE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE PRICE TAG FOR THE DEATH PENALTY IS VERY HIGH. WE NEED MORE SECURITY, MORE RESOURCES BEGINNING AT THE MOMENT THAT THE TRIAL BEGINS AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO AN EXECUTION. THOSE COSTS, THOSE APPEALS, ALL OF THE ATTENDANT CIRCUMSTANCES FOR A CAPITAL MATTER ARE MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN THEY WOULD BE IF WE SIMPLY SENTENCE THAT PERSON TO LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. >> AND HOW DO YOU THINK THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT IF IT NEEDS TO BE WHAT WOULD EASE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED. >> WELL, PRISONERS, EVEN PRISONERS HAVE COMMITTED TERRIBLE OFFENSES, HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION AS THE REST OF US. AND THEY DESERVE TO HAVE A PROTECTION AGAINST THE UNUSUAL INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF PAIN AND SUFFERING AND SO ANY METHOD THAT'S USED SHOULD NOT TORTURE THEM TO DEATH SHOULD NOT INFLICT UNNECESSARY PAIN AND SUFFERING AND THEY'RE BEING EXECUTED. >> BISMARCK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AND SHARING IT WITH US TODAY. MY PLEASURE.