Florida Carries Out Double Executions as Catholic Bishops Call to End Death Penalty
The state carried out its first double execution since 1964 after bishops urged Catholics to oppose capital punishment and called it a culture of death.
- On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Florida executed James Duckett and Dominick Anthony Occhicone at Florida State Prison in Starke, marking the state's first double execution since 1964.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis has expanded capital punishment through legislation reducing juror requirements from 12 to eight, maintaining it is an "appropriate punishment for the worst offenders" despite pleas from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- The bishops wrote that the Church views capital punishment as "inadmissible," arguing that "bloodless means" are sufficient to punish offenders and protect public safety in situations like Florida's.
- Robin M. Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, noted Florida leads the nation in 2026 executions with 12 total, observing "no one has received clemency in Florida since 1983."
- Florida's next execution is scheduled for August 18, 2026, while Pope Leo XIV has emphasized that "the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right," citing Pope Francis' teaching on capital punishment.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Florida activists call to end death penalty after double execution
Florida activists gathered in Pinellas County, urging state leaders to abolish the death penalty after the state’s first double execution in 62 years. Members of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) said the demonstration was about more than two executions. They pointed out that Florida’s increasing use of capital punishment shows why the state should replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole. The protest…
Florida put the death penalty back at the center of the debate after two men were executed on the same day, a fact that didn’t happen in nearly a decade in the United States. “Since what year has the death penalty not been executed?” The decision was authorized by Governor Ron DeSantis, who scheduled both executions with just a few hours of difference. Who were the men executed in Florida? The first executed was James Aren Duckett, 68, a former …
Catholic Review
National Catholic ReporterFlorida carries out double executions as Catholic bishops call to end death penalty
(OSV News) — Before Florida executed two inmates in one day July 28, the Catholic bishops of that state issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics to reflect on the Church’s moral opposition to the practice. The executions marked the first time since 1964 that Florida executed two inmates on the same day, according to a database from the Death Penalty Information Center. The inmates were James Duckett, 68, convicted for the 1987 rape and murder o…
On day of double executions, Florida Catholic leaders call for end to death penalty
As Florida continues state executions at a record-setting pace, Catholic leaders are encouraging the public to oppose the death penalty and instead promote a “culture of life.” On Monday, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops released a pastoral letter urging…
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