Oklahoma sets 25 execution dates for next two and a half years

The U.S. state of Oklahoma plans to resume executions on Aug. 25 and then carry out lethal injections in stages through the end of 2024.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has set 25 execution dates for convicted murderers whose appeals of their convictions and sentences have been completed. An order setting the dates for the first six executions was filed Friday morning.

The first to be executed in August is James A. Coddington, who murdered a friend in Choctaw in 1997. His attorney said in a statement Friday that he “embodies the principle of reparation.” He said prison staff praised him for his trouble-free past and his commitment to the prison community and academic studies during his 15 years on death row. He was the most deeply and sincerely remorseful client she had ever represented, she said.

The second candidate in September is Richard E. Glossip, who was about to be executed in 2015 when a doctor determined the wrong drug had been administered. His claim of innocence has received widespread support, particularly from actress Susan Sarandon, who won an Oscar in 1996 for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean in “Dead Man Walking.”

More information:
Sister Helen Prejean on Oklahoma’s unprecedented rush to execute 25 people
Oklahoma’s planned execution spree underlines death penalty’s errors

Source: https://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2022/07/oklahoma-begins-setting-execution-dates.html