Arizona Attorney General announced that executions will resume in the state after a two-year hiatus. The decision comes as the state has been working to review and improve procedures related to the death penalty.
The Attorney General's office is set to seek an execution warrant for Aaron Brian Gunches, who is on death row for the murder of his girlfriend's ex-husband. The state had paused executions to ensure that they could be carried out without violating any laws.
Governor Katie Hobbs had previously promised not to proceed with any executions until she was confident in the state's ability to do so in a lawful and transparent manner. The state corrections officials have conducted a thorough review of policies and procedures to ensure that executions meet legal and constitutional standards.
Despite initial plans to resume executions by early 2025, the Attorney General now aims to request an execution warrant for Gunches in the coming weeks. Gunches had previously been scheduled for execution in April 2023, but logistical challenges prevented the state from carrying out the death penalty.
Arizona faced an eight-year hiatus in executions due to concerns over a botched execution in 2014 and difficulties in obtaining the necessary drugs for lethal injections. The state has since made critical improvements to its execution protocols to address these issues.
With the upcoming resumption of executions, Arizona is poised to carry out its first death penalty since 2022. The state remains committed to upholding the law while ensuring that justice is served in a manner that is both transparent and humane.
