Montgomery's persistence paid off. Her most recent report, released early this month, showed a quickening of step in both the state and federal systems. This has death-penalty opponents fearing that Ohio will soon make up for lost time. We will have a rapid succession of executions. We will do two this year and four or more next year.
Case says the courts still move slowly, making such predictions unlikely.
Though 120 cases are pending in federal court, only eight inmates are actually close to execution, according to the attorney general's report. There is no bloodlust in this office. No doubt Montgomery has public opinion on her side. Though support for the death penalty has eroded nationwide, the same cannot be said of Ohio. A February Gallup Poll found that 67 percent of Americans support capital punishment, down from a high of 80 percent in 1994.