Executions by County
Although counties do not carry out executions, in almost all states the decision to seek the death penalty is made by the county district attorney. A small number of counties are responsible for a disproportionate number of the executions in the United States. DPIC's Execution Database now has information on the original county for each case. Search results can be sorted by county.
Top 15 Counties by Execution Since 1976
Top 15 Counties by Execution Since 1976 (Excluding Texas)
Top 10 Counties by Number of Murders 2006 - 2010
2012 Death Sentences by Name, Race, and County
Top 15 Counties by Execution Since 1976
Total Number of Counties in the U.S. = 3,148 (source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Execution numbers accurate as of 1/1/2013
These 15 counties accounted for 30% of the executions in the U.S. since 1976. They represent less than 1% of the total number of counties in the country, and less than 1% of the total number of counties in states with the death penalty.
|
Top 15 counties since 1976 |
| 1. Harris County (Houston), TX - 115 |
| 2. Dallas County (Dallas/Fort Worth), TX - 50 |
| 3. Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City), OK - 38 |
| 4. Tarrant County (Fort Worth), TX - 37 |
| 5. Bexar County (San Antonio), TX - 35 |
| 6. Montgomery County, TX -16 |
| 7. Tulsa County, OK - 14 |
| 8. St. Louis County, MO - 13 |
| 8. Jefferson County, TX -13 |
| 10. Brazos County, TX - 12 |
| 11. Potter County, TX - 11 |
| 11. Pima County (Tuscon), AZ - 11 |
| 11. Maricopa County, AZ - 11 |
| 11. St. Louis City, MO - 11 |
| 11. Potter County, TX - 11 |
The following 16 counties accounted for 14% (191 executions) of the executions in the U.S. since 1976. They represent less than 1% of the total number of counties in the country, and less than 1% of the total number of counties in states with the death penalty.
|
Top 16 counties since 1976 |
| 1. Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City), OK - 38 |
| 2. Tulsa County, OK - 14 |
| 3. St. Louis County, MO - 13 |
| 4. Maricopa County, AZ - 11 |
| 4. Pima County, AZ - 11 |
| 4. St. Louis City, MO - 11 |
| 7. Hamilton County, OH - 10 |
| 7. Jefferson County, AL - 10 |
| 7. Miami-Dade County, FL - 10 |
| 7. Mobile County, AL - 10 |
| 11. New Castle County, DE - 9 |
| 11. Prince William County, VA - 9 |
| 13. Charleston County, SC - 8 |
| 13. Chesterfield County, VA - 8 |
| 13. Clark County, NV - 8 |
| 13. Virginia Beach City, VA - 8 |
Murder data source: FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2006 - 2010
Execution data taken from DPIC's Execution Database. Thanks to Professor Frank Baumgartner at University of North Carolina for county information.
Additional resources:
See F. Baumgartner "The Geography of the Death Penalty" (2010)
R. Smith, "The Geography of the Death Penalty and it's Ramifications" (Boston University Law Review, forthcoming)
J. Liebman and P. Clarke, "Minority Practice, Majority's Burden: The Death Penalty Today" (Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, forthcoming)
See also Arbitrariness
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