FRANKFORT, KY – Attorney General Russell Coleman released the following statement Thursday after a hearing before the Franklin Circuit Court on the motion to lift a 15-year ban on the legal imposition of the death penalty in Kentucky:
“As a prosecutor, I took an oath to uphold the law as passed by the people’s representatives. That’s exactly what I intend to do. Now that Governor Beshear’s Administration has restarted the process to legally impose the death penalty, it’s finally time to deliver justice for victims and their families.
“Our Office argued to end the Court’s 15-year ban because of our commitment to Kentucky’s law and the pursuit of justice. We hope the Court gives victims’ families the closure they have been promised for so long.”
On March 7, 2024, General Coleman filed a motion with the Franklin Circuit to lift its temporary injunction on the death penalty. Earlier that week, the Beshear Administration published an amended capital punishment regulation, which would bring the Commonwealth’s policy into full compliance with the Court’s 2010 ruling.
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