Court TV Library

Texas and the Death Penalty

Texas allows the death penalty as an option in the following cases:

  • murder of a public safety officer, firefighter or correctional employee
  • murder during the commission of specified felonies (kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated rape, arson)
  • murder for remuneration
  • multiple murders
  • murder during a prison escape
  • murder by a state prison inmate
  • murder of an individual under eight years old

    The sentence is death by lethal injection.

    Minimum age for death penalty: 17

    Executions 1930-1976: 368

    Executions since 1977: 187

    List of prisoners currently on death row (as of April 1, 2000)

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