Death Penalty Cases

Today a firing squad ended Ronnie Lee Gardner's life. In Utah, the death penalty is still legal, though groups have actively opposed this type of punishment. Some speculate that this could be the last time a firing squad will ever be used in an capital punishment execution. Lethal injection has become the preferred method for the ultimate punishment. The incredible element to this case is that it took 25 years between the time the punishment of death was ordered, and the actual execution.

Whether the government should be allowed to put a person to death for committing a crime is a hotly debated topic. Individuals from around the country, including scholars and judges, are divided in their opinions regarding this topic. Attorney J. Edward Jones is one of the few attorneys in the State of Utah that has been qualified to be appointed to represent individuals charged with crimes where the death penalty is the requested punishment. Mr. Jones has also been successful in obtaining a not guilty verdict for murder charges at trial.