Arizona Capital Representation Project

Today, President Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row. Those individuals will have their sentences reclassified from execution to life without the possibility of parole. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-commutes-the-sentences-of-37-individuals-on-death-row/

In this edition of Newsmaker, FOX 10’s John Hook talks with retired Judge David Duncan, who was previously tasked with reviewing Arizona’s execution process.

PHOENIX — He was fired last month by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

But David Duncan told Capitol Media Services he still intends to complete his report about what he has learned about the execution process in Arizona — and make it public

Duncan said there are several conclusions from the research he already had done that he believes need to be shared. And it starts with the one method for legally executing inmates in Arizona that he was asked to review.

State and national organizations gathered at the state capitol imploring Governor Katie Hobbs to commit to the completion of the final report reviewing Arizona’s execution process for death row inmates before those executions resume.

Critics are swinging back, saying the state is not prepared to follow through, and are demanding accountability.

Arizona has a complicated history with the death penalty, including a botched execution in 2014 which caused condemned prisoner Joseph Wood to gasp for two hours before dying from a lethal injection.

Several advocacy groups on Wednesday called on Gov. Katie Hobbs to finish and release an investigation into the state’s death penalty practices.

Executions are set to resume in Arizona, and days after being dismissed from a death penalty review by Governor Katie Hobbs, a retired judge is telling his side of the story.