Written by: Katie Linder

Emily Hughes, the Edward F. Howrey Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law, was recently interviewed for a story in Le Figaro, France’s oldest daily newspaper. In the interview, she explained some of the reasons for declining use and support of the death penalty in the United States. 

The article, “Derrière le fiasco de l’exécution ratée de Christa Pike, le lent recul de la peine de mort aux États- Unis” translates to “Behind the fiasco of Christa Pike's botched execution, the slow decline of the death penalty in the United States.” 

The article explores why, of the 27 states that still authorize the death penalty, only a few continue to use it. Tennessee paused executions following the failed lethal injection on Christa Pike, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Hughes says incidents like Pike’s weigh on people’s minds when they consider their opinion on executions.  

“It's hard to determine the precise impact that any one incident has on public opinion in the United States and on debates surrounding the abolition of the death penalty, but the cumulative effect of these incidents is important,” Hughes told the French paper. 

Hughes also explained that jurors and the public have a better understanding of how the death penalty system works and its shortcomings. She says that the expense, resources, and long timeline are also deterring. 

“From the intensive preparation before and during trial, to the numerous appeals after a conviction, the entire process takes incredible time and money—without speaking of all of the other resources,” she said in the article. 

Hughes is a nationally recognized expert in criminal law, the death penalty, and legal ethics. She directs annual death penalty defense training programs and has written and spoken extensively on these topics. 

The full Le Figaro article is available online to subscribers.