Prosecutor opposes House Bill in fight to keep death penalty in Ohio
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins has taken his support for the death penalty in Ohio to the new office of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and is calling on the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association (OPAA) to speak out about a bill that Watkins says is logrolling the death penalty with other hot button topics.
Watkins wants executions to restart in Ohio and sent a letter last week to Bondi and Ohio Attorney General David Yost thanking them for their support of the death penalty and seeking their help reinstituting the practice in Ohio.
Ohio has a moratorium on the death penalty because the state has not been able to obtain the drugs approved for lethal injection — Ohio's only means to carry out the death penalty. Any change to the drug cocktail or any other means of execution would have to be approved by the legislature.
Watkins has suggested using nitrogen gas, which has been used in other states.
Watkins is concerned about pending legislation that could thwart attempts at reigniting the death penalty in the state. He is asking OPAA leadership to speak out against legislators who he says are attempting to 'logroll' or package together several hot topics, such as the death penalty, abortion and assisted suicide, into the language of House Bill 72, which among other things would defund public money for lethal injection. The bill is sponsored by Jean Schmidt, R-District 62, and Adam Mathews, R-District 56.
In his letter, Watkins refers to President Ronald Reagan and Supreme Court Antonin Scalia, who both felt a functioning death penalty was necessary to maintain the American citizens' way of life and keep society civilized. Watkins also praised the courage of former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, who during December 2024 as he was leaving office, obtained the necessary drugs to execute a death row inmate and provide 'some finality to the victims' after 15 years of delay.
President Trump by Executive Order this year has lifted the Biden Administration's moratorium on the death penalty in federal cases, according to Watkins, and while former President Biden did not carry out one execution during his term, he commuted 37 death sentences in one day before leaving office.
In his fight to carry out death penalty convictions in Ohio, Watkins testified in Columbus in 2024 before legislative committees in support of the current death penalty law and in support of a bill that would add nitrogen hypoxia as a new method for execution.
House Bill 72 is currently in committee.
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