Consultation & Case Tracking
ACCR is the only agency in the state of Pennsylvania tracking new death penalty cases.
The PA Department of Corrections and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund keep record of each person only after that individual has been sentenced to death.
Dispositions by year since 2010.
We took the initiative to begin collecting data on pre-trial death penalty cases in Pennsylvania in 2011. Since then, we have monitored the number of new cases per calendar year and the number of cases resolved per calendar year, among many other data points. The downward trend in the number of cases resolved annually also mimics the decline in the number of new death penalty prosecutions and trials per year. Overall, the death penalty has begun to fall out of favor among the population, and the number of active cases has dropped steadily overtime. Nonetheless, District Attorneys across the state continue to drain valuable resources into over 50 cases at any given time, with an average price tag of over $100,000 per case.
If you are a reporter, researcher or otherwise interested party, you can contact us for more information about pending capital cases.
New capital cases in Pennsylvania.
As of June 2023, there are over 55 people facing a potential capital trial and death sentence across 67 counties. ACCR closely monitors news outlets and keeps an ear to the ground, with the support of the capital defense community in Pennsylvania, to track capital prosecutions around the state. We use targeted outreach to all capital defense teams to provide support, resources and expertise through consultations with the client and their legal team.
For the safety and confidentiality of each person facing a death sentence, we do not publish these records. If you are a reporter, researcher or otherwise interested party, you can contact us for more information about pending capital cases.
Work with us.
The work of collecting data on capital cases in Pennsylvania requires close collaboration with defense practitioners on the ground. If you have a capital case and we’re not already in touch, please reach out to us.