Capital punishment in each state

The Associated Press, Oct. 21, 2007

A state-by-state look at the status of capital punishment.

Ala. - Choice of lethal injection or electrocution.

Alaska - No death penalty.

Ariz. - Lethal injection with a choice of lethal gas for those sentenced before November 1992.

Ark. - Lethal injection with a choice of electrocution for those sentenced before July 4, 1983.One execution was halted by a federal judge to allow the inmate to challenge use of lethal injection.

Calif. - Choice of lethal injection or lethal gas. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections.

Colo. - Lethal injection.

Conn. - Lethal injection.

Del. - Lethal injection with a choice of hanging for those sentenced before June 13, 1986. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections.

D.C. - No death penalty.

Fla. - Choice of lethal injection or electrocution. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections.

Ga. - Lethal injection.

Hawaii - No death penalty.

Idaho - Lethal injection or a firing squad if injection is "impractical."

Ill. - Lethal injection. The state has a formal moratorium on executions, imposed by Gov. George Ryan in 2000.

Ind. - Lethal injection.

Iowa - No death penalty.

Kan. - Lethal injection.

Ky. - Lethal injection with a choice of electrocution for those sentenced before June 1, 1998.

La. - Lethal injection.

Maine - No death penalty.

Md. - Lethal injection with a choice of lethal gas for those sentenced before March 11, 1994. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections.

Mass. - No death penalty.

Mich. - No death penalty.

Minn. - No death penalty.

Miss. - Lethal injection.

Mo. - Statute allows for lethal injection or lethal gas. (Missouri has no functioning gas chamber, however.)

Mont. - Lethal injection.

Neb. - Electrocution. Executions have been effectively halted due to a challenge to the electrocution process.

Nev. - Lethal injection.

N.H. - Lethal injection or hanging if injection not possible.

N.J. - Lethal injection. The state has a formal moratorium on executions, due to legislation passed in 2006. Previously, a 2004 decision by a state appellate court had effectively halted executions.

N.M. - Lethal injection.

N.Y. - Lethal injection. The existing death penalty was declared unconstitutional by the state's high court in 2004.

N.C. - Lethal injection. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections.

N.D. - No death penalty.

Ohio - Lethal injection. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections, although one was allowed to go forward.

Okla. - Lethal injection with allowances for electrocution, then firing squad should injection be deemed unconstitutional.

Ore. - Lethal injection.

Pa. - Lethal injection.

R.I. - No death penalty.

S.C. - Choice of lethal injection or electrocution.

S.D. - Lethal injection.

Tenn. - Lethal injection with a choice of electrocution for those sentenced after January 1, 1999. Executions have been effectively halted due to issues surrounding lethal injections, although one lethal injection execution and one volunteer electrocution were allowed to go forward.

Texas- Lethal injection.

Utah - Lethal injection with a choice of firing squad for those sentenced before March 15, 2004.

Vt. - No death penalty.

Va. - Choice of lethal injection or electrocution.

Wash. - Choice of lethal injection or hanging.

W.Va. - No death penalty.

Wis. - No death penalty.

Wyo. - Lethal injection with allowance for lethal gas if injection found unconstitutional.

Source: The Death Penalty Information Center