In reaction to the Furman ruling, numerous states rewrote death penalty statutes in the belief that the new versions would survive the Court's scrutiny. In the 1976 case of Georgia v. Gregg, the judges approved a number of capital punishment statutes that had been drafted to meet the new standards. Since then, more than 300 prisoners have been put to death. While there are some predictable patterns in how the death penalty is used, the fact remains that a low proportion of convicted murderers are sentenced to death. And nearly every aspect of the death penalty differs from state to state.
Most states favor lethal injection as the manner of execution.
Some prescribe electrocution, hanging and even death by firing squad. In some states, the death penalty can be imposed for several different crimes, while in others it can be imposed only for first-degree murder. Some states, including Georgia and Texas, allow the jury to have the final say in determining whether someone is sentenced to die. In other states, like Florida, the decision rest with the judge. The Court TV Law Center hopes this site educates you and sparks debate over this controversial issue.