Dr. Hugo Bedau, a long-time professor of philosophy at Tufts University, died earlier this week ( New York Times , August 17, 2012, p. B14). He was
born in Portland. Professor Bedau devoted much of his career to the systematic, rigorous and socially conscious study of the death penalty and
made his scholarship relevant for legislators, other policy makers, the courts and the legal profession in general. He wrote, among many other
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Common Questions
Does Oregon currently have the death penalty?
Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Oregon. The first execution under the territorial government was in 1851. Capital punishment was made explicitly legal by statute in 1864, and executions have been carried out exclusively at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem since 1904. The death penalty was outlawed between 1914 and 1920, again between 1964 and 1978, and then again between a 1981 Oregon Supreme Court ruling and a 1984 ballot measure. Since 1904, about 60 individuals have been executed in Oregon. Aggravated murder is the only crime subject to the penalty of death under Oregon law.
Is there anyone currently on death row in Oregon?
Thirty-four people are currently on Oregon's death row.
What is the method of execution in Oregon?
The current method of execution in Oregon is lethal injection.