Death Penalty in Arizona

As of October 2026, Arizona remains one of the 27 U.S. states that retain the death penalty in law. Arizona uses lethal injection as the default method; some prisoners sentenced before November 15, 1992 may select lethal gas.

Current legal status

The death penalty remains part of Arizona law. That does not necessarily mean executions occur regularly: capital punishment in the United States varies sharply by state because death sentences, appeals, clemency, execution warrants, drug availability, court orders and executive policy can all affect whether a sentence is carried out.

Authorized execution methods

This state page is therefore linked to the broader Execution Methods in the United States archive rather than repeating technical protocol details that can change over time.

Death row, prisons and execution sites

Execution facilities: Arizona State Prison Complex – Florence.

Landmark cases: Ring v. Arizona.

Execution events: Botched Execution of Joseph Wood.

Constitutional framework

Why this page exists

Sources

– Death Penalty Information Center — Arizona state profile. – Death Penalty Information Center — Authorized Methods by State.

Death-row exonerations

– Debra Milke — convicted 1990, exonerated 2015 (Charges dismissed).

These cases connect the state archive to the broader Death Row Exonerations in the United States hub.