Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson is voicing support for maintaining the death penalty in Ohio following Governor Mike DeWine’s recent call to abolish capital punishment in the state.
Earlier this week, DeWine announced that he no longer believes the death penalty serves as a deterrent to violent crime and said Ohio should end the practice.
The governor, who helped write Ohio’s modern death penalty law as a state legislator in the early 1980s, has delayed executions throughout his tenure because of the state’s inability to obtain lethal injection drugs. Ohio has not carried out an execution since 2018.
In response, Wilson released a statement acknowledging the governor’s position.
“I understand that the Governor issued a statement indicating his opposition to the death penalty. The governor is a religious man who cares deeply about the sanctity of life. His opinion reflects his lifetime of working in the criminal justice system and serving the people of Ohio.”
While respecting DeWine’s views, Wilson noted that opinions on the issue vary across the state.
“While I respect his opinion, each Ohioan is entitled to their own view on this issue, and I’m certain that those opinions would vary greatly on whether we should or should not have the death penalty,” Wilson said.
Wilson, a former prosecutor who has personally handled several capital murder cases, said he believes the death penalty remains an important option in the most serious criminal cases.
He has previously noted that he was involved in four death penalty trials during his career and believes prosecutors use the punishment only in rare circumstances.
“Having personally handled several death penalty trials, I understand the value of the death penalty as an option for prosecutors and victims in very limited circumstances. The decision to seek the death penalty is the most serious decision a prosecutor can make. My experience working with prosecutors across the state is that they do not make this choice lightly.”
Wilson added that, in some cases, the death penalty may be the only punishment capable of providing a sense of justice for victims’ families.
“In a small percentage of cases, the death penalty is the only option that can bring a measure of justice and closure to the families of victims who rely on the criminal justice system to help them through the worst moments of their lives.”
The attorney general also expressed relief that DeWine stopped short of commuting the sentences of inmates currently on Ohio’s death row.
“I’m relieved that the governor didn’t use the power of commutation to undo the decisions of the prosecutors, juries and judges who are closest to the facts and evidence in these cases,” he said.
The debate has also drawn reactions from state lawmakers.
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman has said he disagrees with DeWine’s position and supports keeping the death penalty available for the state’s most heinous crimes, while some Democratic lawmakers have praised the governor’s call for abolition.
Despite DeWine’s comments, capital punishment remains legal in Ohio.
Wilson said his office will continue to enforce the law as written.
“The death penalty is currently allowable under Ohio law, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office will work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors’ offices to uphold this law and support the families of victims who have suffered at the hands of society’s most violent offenders.”
