Use of death penalty continues to decline in Texas
By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) - A new report says that while Texas led the nation in the number of inmates executed in 2018, the use of capital punishment in the state continues to decline.
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty says in its year-end review report the drop can be attributed, in part, to prosecutors and the public continuing to turn away from the death penalty.
In recent years, reform-minded district attorneys who have expressed concerns about the death penalty have been elected in some of Texas' most populous counties.
Texas led the nation with 13 executions this year.
But the coalition says the number of executions in the state from 2009 to 2018 is nearly 50 percent less than the previous 10-year period.
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