Ohio AG Renews Call to End Execution Moratorium

Yost says lack of executions in state is a 'mockery of the justice system'

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:33am

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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has released his final 'Capital Crimes Report,' which shows that no executions have been carried out in the state for over seven years. Yost is calling on state lawmakers to take action to resume executions, saying the lack of action is a 'mockery of the justice system and of the dead and their families.'

Why it matters

The report highlights the ongoing debate over capital punishment in Ohio, where the death penalty has been effectively on hold due to legal challenges and difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. Yost argues the delays undermine the justice system, while opponents say the moratorium prevents wrongful executions.

The details

Yost's report shows that from 1981 to 2025, 337 people have received a combined 342 death sentences in Ohio, but only 56 of those sentences have been carried out. An additional 41 inmates have died of natural causes or suicide while on Death Row. The report also notes that Ohio has the nation's fifth-largest Death Row population, with 113 inmates facing a combined 115 death sentences.

  • The Capital Crimes report is an annual statutory requirement of the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
  • The last execution in Ohio was carried out in July 2018, over seven years ago.
  • In January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to restore the federal death penalty and secure states' access to lethal injection drugs.

The players

Dave Yost

The Ohio Attorney General who has released his final 'Capital Crimes Report' and is calling for an end to the state's de facto moratorium on executions.

John Spirko

An inmate sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of a postmistress in Van Wert County, whose sentence was commuted to life in prison in 2008.

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What they’re saying

“'During my years as attorney general, not a single sentence has been carried out – a mockery of the justice system and of the dead and their families.'”

— Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General

“'Those on Death Row have had more than their fair share of due process – and second and third helpings of overdue process. It is past time that we do right by the victims and punish the monsters who killed them.'”

— Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General

What’s next

State lawmakers are considering legislation that would permit the use of nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative to lethal injection for executions.

The takeaway

The ongoing debate over capital punishment in Ohio highlights the complex legal and ethical issues surrounding the death penalty, with the state's top law enforcement official arguing the delays undermine the justice system while opponents say the moratorium prevents wrongful executions.