Robert Dunham
@rdunhamdp.bsky.social
Director, Death Penalty Policy Project; Special Counsel, Phillips Black, Inc.; Adjunct, Temple Univ. Beasley School of Law. Former Exec. Dir., Death Penalty Info. Center, PA Capital Case Resource Center. B.A., Univ. of Pennsylvania; J.D., Georgetown Law
Pinned
Robert Dunham
@rdunhamdp.bsky.social
· May 8
Lawyers for man executed by firing squad in South Carolina say bullets mostly missed his heart. apnews.com/article/firi...
@apnews.com @scadeathpenalty.bsky.social @assoecpm.bsky.social #deathpenalty
@apnews.com @scadeathpenalty.bsky.social @assoecpm.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Lawyers for man executed by firing squad in South Carolina say bullets mostly missed his heart
A pathologist hired by attorneys for death row inmates says a South Carolina man executed by firing squad was conscious and likely in extreme pain for as long as a minute.
apnews.com
SC firing squad misses the target. FL sets a prisoner on fire in its electric chair. OK orders the wrong execution drug. TX forgets to let the media in to observe an execution. What aren't states capable of getting wrong in carrying out the death penalty? @apnews.com @8thamendment.org
My latest DP3 analysis — Executions are Up but the Sky is Not Falling. dppolicy.substack.com/p/executions... @8thamendment.org @assoecpm.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social
Executions are Up but the Sky is Not Falling
The Execution Frenzy by Death Penalty Zealots has not Translated to Increased Public Support for the Punishment
dppolicy.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 8:11 PM
My latest DP3 analysis — Executions are Up but the Sky is Not Falling. dppolicy.substack.com/p/executions... @8thamendment.org @assoecpm.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social
Judge orders Tennessee to turn off death-row prisoner Byron Black’s heart-regulating implanted device at execution. apnews.com/article/exec...
@apnews.com @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
@apnews.com @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Judge orders Tennessee to turn off inmate's heart-regulating implanted device at execution
A judge is ordering state officials to turn off a death-row inmate's heart-regulating implanted device to avert the risk that it might try to shock him during his execution by lethal injection schedul...
apnews.com
July 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Judge orders Tennessee to turn off death-row prisoner Byron Black’s heart-regulating implanted device at execution. apnews.com/article/exec...
@apnews.com @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
@apnews.com @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
A heart implant could make Tennessee’s next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don’t have to disable the device. wpln.org/post/a-heart... @wpln.bsky.social @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #ByronBlack #deathpenalty
A heart implant could make Tennessee's next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don't have to disable the device.
Tennessee's next execution is scheduled for Aug. 5, and this time, there are even stronger fears about the death becoming torturous.
wpln.org
July 18, 2025 at 3:02 PM
A heart implant could make Tennessee’s next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don’t have to disable the device. wpln.org/post/a-heart... @wpln.bsky.social @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #ByronBlack #deathpenalty
The Abortion Capital Murder Prosecution No One Is Talking About. contrarian.substack.com/p/the-aborti... contrarian.substack.com @pregnancyjust.bsky.social #Texas #deathpenalty
The Abortion Prosecution No One Is Talking About
A test case in Texas shows the next frontier for "abortion abolitionists": homicide charges
contrarian.substack.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The Abortion Capital Murder Prosecution No One Is Talking About. contrarian.substack.com/p/the-aborti... contrarian.substack.com @pregnancyjust.bsky.social #Texas #deathpenalty
Trump reshaped the Supreme Court. Now emergency appeals are helping him reshape the government. apnews.com/article/dona... @apnews.com @shermancourt.bsky.social
Trump reshaped the Supreme Court. Now emergency appeals are helping him reshape the government
President Donald Trump has achieved significant victories in the Supreme Court during the first six months of his second term.
apnews.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Trump reshaped the Supreme Court. Now emergency appeals are helping him reshape the government. apnews.com/article/dona... @apnews.com @shermancourt.bsky.social
No shackles, no cuffs: Texas death row loosens solitary confinement for first time in years. houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
@houstonchronicle.com @keribla.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social #deathpenalty
@houstonchronicle.com @keribla.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social #deathpenalty
No cuffs: Texas death row loosens solitary confinement for first time in years
A new program in the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, allows death row prisoners to mingle outside of solitary confinement.
houstonchronicle.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM
No shackles, no cuffs: Texas death row loosens solitary confinement for first time in years. houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
@houstonchronicle.com @keribla.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social #deathpenalty
@houstonchronicle.com @keribla.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Statement from defense counsel — Court Schedules October 16 Execution for Robert Roberson, Innocent Man Convicted in Texas “Shaken Baby” Case. docs.google.com/document/d/1... @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #deathpenalty
July 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Statement from defense counsel — Court Schedules October 16 Execution for Robert Roberson, Innocent Man Convicted in Texas “Shaken Baby” Case. docs.google.com/document/d/1... @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #deathpenalty
Emails Reveal Oklahoma Attorney General Agreed to Release Richard Glossip. theintercept.com/2025/07/16/g... @theintercept.com @lilianasegura.bsky.social @jordansmith.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Emails Reveal Oklahoma Attorney General Agreed to Release Richard Glossip
In an explosive new court filing, Glossip’s attorneys accuse Gentner Drummond of reneging on a plan negotiated in 2023.
theintercept.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Emails Reveal Oklahoma Attorney General Agreed to Release Richard Glossip. theintercept.com/2025/07/16/g... @theintercept.com @lilianasegura.bsky.social @jordansmith.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Tennessee death row prisoner Byron Black to ask court Monday to disable defibrillator before execution. fox17.com/news/local/h... @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Tennessee death row inmate asks court to disable defibrillator before execution
A Davidson County judge held what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind hearing over how the state will handle the scheduled execution of Byron Black.
fox17.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Tennessee death row prisoner Byron Black to ask court Monday to disable defibrillator before execution. fox17.com/news/local/h... @tndeathpenalty.bsky.social @kelleyjhenry.bsky.social @stacyrector.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Utah death row prisoner Ralph Menzies, set for execution, asks for clemency. ksl.com/article/5134... @kslcom.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Death row inmate set for execution asks for clemency
Attorneys for Ralph Menzies, who is set to be executed Sept. 5, are seeking clemency from the state parole board, citing his mental health and comments from an initial judge.
ksl.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Utah death row prisoner Ralph Menzies, set for execution, asks for clemency. ksl.com/article/5134... @kslcom.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Attorneys for Ralph Menzies seek clemency, ask death penalty to be commuted to life sentence. abc4.com/news/local-n... @abc4utah.bsky.social #Utah #deathpenalty
abc4.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Attorneys for Ralph Menzies seek clemency, ask death penalty to be commuted to life sentence. abc4.com/news/local-n... @abc4utah.bsky.social #Utah #deathpenalty
Alabama lawmaker seeks to broaden already expansive death penalty statute by adding a 22nd basis to seek death. wdhn.com/news/alabama... @eji.org @alabamaarise.bsky.social
wdhn.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Alabama lawmaker seeks to broaden already expansive death penalty statute by adding a 22nd basis to seek death. wdhn.com/news/alabama... @eji.org @alabamaarise.bsky.social
Robert Roberson Faces New Execution Date in Controversial ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case. texasobserver.org/robert-rober... @texasobserver.org @michellepitcher.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #Texas #deathpenalty
Robert Roberson Faces New Execution Date in Controversial ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case
The new date comes after Ken Paxton took over the case that could lead to the nation's first execution based on the contested diagnosis.
texasobserver.org
July 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Robert Roberson Faces New Execution Date in Controversial ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case. texasobserver.org/robert-rober... @texasobserver.org @michellepitcher.bsky.social @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #Texas #deathpenalty
'Texans should be outraged': Execution back on for death-row prisoner who has strong innocence claims. usatoday.com/story/news/n... @usatoday.com @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #RobertRoberson #deathpenalty
usatoday.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
'Texans should be outraged': Execution back on for death-row prisoner who has strong innocence claims. usatoday.com/story/news/n... @usatoday.com @texasdefender.bsky.social @wtiusa.bsky.social @innocenceproject.bsky.social @cifsjustice.org #RobertRoberson #deathpenalty
Timothy Fletcher was originally sentenced to death despite a nonunanimous 8-4 jury vote. In his resentencing, the new jury found no mitigating circumstances and the judge imposed death. The court affirmed. supremecourt.flcourts.gov/content/down... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
July 18, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Timothy Fletcher was originally sentenced to death despite a nonunanimous 8-4 jury vote. In his resentencing, the new jury found no mitigating circumstances and the judge imposed death. The court affirmed. supremecourt.flcourts.gov/content/down... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
The Florida Supreme Court has issued opinions affirming the convictions and sentences of three death-row prisoners. supremecourt.flcourts.gov/Opinions/Mos... @fadp.bsky.social #TimothyFletcher #DonaldWilliams #ToneyDavis #deathpenalty
July 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The Florida Supreme Court has issued opinions affirming the convictions and sentences of three death-row prisoners. supremecourt.flcourts.gov/Opinions/Mos... @fadp.bsky.social #TimothyFletcher #DonaldWilliams #ToneyDavis #deathpenalty
Florida has executed Michael Bell. Death was pronounced at 6:25 p.m. Eastern. He was the 26th execution in 2025. 25 of those executions have been in jurisdictions that, as states or territories, practiced slavery. @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
July 15, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Florida has executed Michael Bell. Death was pronounced at 6:25 p.m. Eastern. He was the 26th execution in 2025. 25 of those executions have been in jurisdictions that, as states or territories, practiced slavery. @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Michael Bell's petitions for review and applications to stay tonight's execution in Florida.
supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
supremecourt.gov/orders/court... @fadp.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social @8thamendment.org #deathpenalty
supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
supremecourt.gov/orders/court... @fadp.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social @8thamendment.org #deathpenalty
July 15, 2025 at 9:07 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Michael Bell's petitions for review and applications to stay tonight's execution in Florida.
supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
supremecourt.gov/orders/court... @fadp.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social @8thamendment.org #deathpenalty
supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
supremecourt.gov/orders/court... @fadp.bsky.social @deathpenaltyaction.bsky.social @8thamendment.org #deathpenalty
His petition for writ of certiorari asks SCOTUS to review the Florida federal court’s refusal to consider new evidence that prosecutors had wrongfully withheld in his case. Here’s a link to the petition. supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...
@fadp.bsky.social #MichaelBell #deathpenalty
@fadp.bsky.social #MichaelBell #deathpenalty
July 15, 2025 at 2:31 PM
His petition for writ of certiorari asks SCOTUS to review the Florida federal court’s refusal to consider new evidence that prosecutors had wrongfully withheld in his case. Here’s a link to the petition. supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...
@fadp.bsky.social #MichaelBell #deathpenalty
@fadp.bsky.social #MichaelBell #deathpenalty
Yesterday, Michael Bell’s lawyers filed a second petition asking SCOTUS to stay today’s scheduled execution to review his case. supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?...
@fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
@fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
July 15, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Yesterday, Michael Bell’s lawyers filed a second petition asking SCOTUS to stay today’s scheduled execution to review his case. supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?...
@fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
@fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
Florida Supreme Court also affirms Steven Wolf's death sentence. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/florida-su... @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
July 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Florida Supreme Court also affirms Steven Wolf's death sentence. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/florida-su... @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Florida Supreme Court affirms Michael Jones' death sentence. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/florida-su... @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
Florida Supreme Court affirms Michael Jones' death sentence
On Thursday, as part of its regular release of opinions, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Michael W. Jones' sentence of death of direct appeal.
fladeathpenalty.substack.com
July 15, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Florida Supreme Court affirms Michael Jones' death sentence. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/florida-su... @fadp.bsky.social #deathpenalty
On July 10, Michael Bell’s lawyers filed this petition in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to review his case. supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
July 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
On July 10, Michael Bell’s lawyers filed this petition in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to review his case. supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
Here is an update on the status of Michael Bell’s filings in the U.S. Supreme Court in advance of tomorrow’s scheduled execution. supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
July 14, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Here is an update on the status of Michael Bell’s filings in the U.S. Supreme Court in advance of tomorrow’s scheduled execution. supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
From the Tracking Florida's Death penalty substack — Michael Bell Warrant: Petition filed at U.S. Supreme Court. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/bell-warra... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty
BELL WARRANT: Petition filed at U.S. Supreme Court
Michael Bell's execution is scheduled for July 15 at 6:00 p.m. On Thursday, Bell, through his attorneys, filed a petition for writ of certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court.
fladeathpenalty.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
From the Tracking Florida's Death penalty substack — Michael Bell Warrant: Petition filed at U.S. Supreme Court. fladeathpenalty.substack.com/p/bell-warra... @fadp.bsky.social #Florida #deathpenalty