Texas executes 600th inmate in modern era

Key Points:

• Texas executed its 600th inmate, Edward Busby, on Thursday, maintaining its position as the leading death penalty state despite a slowdown in executions; Florida ranks second with 131 executions since 1976.
• Busby’s execution followed the U.S. Supreme Court lifting a stay that had been granted due to concerns about his intellectual disability; he apologized in his final statement for the victim's death.
• The majority of Texas executions are concentrated in a few counties, with Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, and Bexar counties accounting for roughly half, highlighting disparities influenced by geography and race.
• Critics point to racial disparities in death penalty application, noting that Black men, who make up about 12% of Texas' population, account for nearly 36% of executions; wrongful convictions and prosecutorial misconduct have also been cited.
• Legal reforms and Supreme Court rulings over the past two decades have reduced death sentences and executions in Texas, including protections for those with intellectual disabilities and juveniles, contributing to the decline in executions.