An Arizona prisoner whose execution is coming up isn't asking for a reprieve
He is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on March 19 for his murder conviction in the 2002 shooting death of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, near the Phoenix suburb of Mesa.
Gunches, who isn't a lawyer but is representing himself, made an unsuccessful bid late last year to skip legal formalities and schedule his execution earlier than authorities were aiming for. His death sentence was 'long overdue,' Gunches told Arizona's highest court, which rejected the request.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
In a Feb. 20 filing, Gunches said he didn't want to be present at Monday's hearing and noted he made a brief virtual appearance earlier before the board to confirm a clemency waiver he made in 2022.
Advertisement
'My position has not changed,' Gunches wrote in the recent filing.
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a death warrant for Gunches nearly two years ago, but the sentence wasn't carried out because the state's Democratic attorney general agreed not to pursue executions during a review of the state's death penalty protocol. The review ended in November when Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs dismissed the retired federal magistrate judge she had appointed to examine execution procedures.
Arizona, which has 112 prisoners on death row, last carried out three executions in 2022 following a nearly eight-year hiatus brought on by criticism that a 2014 execution was botched and because of difficulties obtaining drugs for execution.
Since then, the state has been criticized for taking too long to insert an IV for lethal injection into a condemned prisoner.
One significant change made by corrections officials was forming a new, larger team to insert IVs into condemned prisoners after the state had been criticized for taking too long to insert IVs into prisoners.
The Arizona Legislature is considering a proposal aimed at changing the state's method of execution. If approved by lawmakers, the proposal would ask voters in 2026 to replace lethal injection with a firing squad.
Advertisement
Currently, Arizona death row prisoners whose crimes occurred before Nov. 23, 1992, can choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, which was refurbished in late 2020 since it was last used for an execution in 1999.
Under current law, those who decline to make the choice or whose crimes occurred after the November 1992 date are to be executed by lethal injection. The proposed ballot measure would keep lethal gas as one of Arizona's two execution methods for those whose crimes occurred before the 1992 date.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Republicans roast Democrats in trying to ban ‘Chiefs,' Native-American mascots in NY schools
Republicans are planning to attack their Democratic opponents over New York's effort to force Massapequa to drop its Chiefs mascot as part of a ban on Native-American imagery in school logos. The GOP sees the mascot controversy as another example of Democratic-run Albany pushing fringe issues, and wants them to pay a political price for it. 'We have a lot of chiefs in volunteer fire departments in New York,' said John McLaughlin, a pollster for New York Republicans and President President Trump — also known as the commander-in-chief. 'Hochul and the Democrats should focus on improving reading and math and not indoctrinating our students,' he said. McLaughlin noted that Hochul is already unpopular on Long Island — she has a 55% unfavorable rating in the New York suburbs compared to 36% favorable in a recent Siena College poll. She is up for reelection next year. The comments come after US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Massapequa on Friday and threatened to bring a civil rights case against the Empire State for forcing the high school to ditch its mascot. The event was coordinated by Nassau County Executive and Trump pal Bruce Blakeman, who is up for re-election this fall. 'Denigrating whole communities like Massapequa and Wantagh is not a good look for Governor Hochul, who seems hell bent on making as many enemies as she can on Long Island,' Blakeman, who also is also eying a run for governor next year, told The Post Sunday. Blakeman's Democratic opponent for county executive, Seth Koslow said, 'School pride matters, but it's hard to believe this is the top concern of the federal government right now.' The New York Board of Regents' and state Education ordered schools to ban Native American mascots back in 2023. The members of the education policy-making board are appointed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is using the controversy to tar Democratic incumbents up for re-election next year on Long Island and elsewhere, including Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen. 'It's another day that ends in 'y,' so obviously Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen's Democrat Party is more concerned with demonizing a high school mascot than lowering taxes and costs for Long Island families,' said NRCC spokeswoman Maurenn O'Toole. 'Democrats are completely missing the plot, and voters will hold Suozzi and Gillen accountable for their utterly foolish, destructive, and out of touch agenda next fall.' But Suozzi told The Post Sunday, 'I support the Massapequa Chiefs.' Suozzi said Republicans are engaging in cheap politics to change the subject. 'This is nonsense, and just another distraction from national Republicans. Congressman Suozzi supports the Massapequa Chiefs, but not the petty partisan politics that people can't stand,' said Suozzi senior campaign adviser Kim Devlin. 'National Republicans should spend their time reducing prices, negotiating a bipartisan fix on immigration, lowering their own proposed record-breaking deficits, and protecting people's healthcare—not cutting it. Congressman Suozzi has always stood with our communities, and no amount of desperate distortion will change that.' State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, a close ally of Hochul who also is the Nassau County Democratic leader, said Trump and the GOP are trying to deflect from their unpopular policies in DC by focusing on mascots. 'This is a Republican distraction. The Democrats have not made this an issue,' Jacobs insisted. 'The Republicans are trying to distract from all the damage they're doing in Washington. They want to talk about mascots instead of tariffs, cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits and education programs,' Jacobs said. 'This is what Republicans do every election — they try to scare and anger people.' Hochul, through a rep, sought to distance herself from the mascot controversy. 'The decision being discussed was made by the independent State Education Department, which is not under our Administration's jurisdiction,' said Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper. 'While Secretary McMahon focuses on WWE-style distractions, Governor Hochul is focused on what matters: fully funding Long Island's public schools and making sure every kid gets a high-quality education.' Last year, Trump and the GOP successfully slammed Democrats for supporting the unpopular policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological females in sports. Republicans said they are pleasantly surprised — even baffled — at state officials going after local school districts on Long Island, of all places. Numerous Long Island towns have native American names — honoring tribal history — Massapequa, Wyandanch, Manhasset, Mineola, Quogue, Amagansett, Patchogue, Hauppauge, Patchogue, among others.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ADL says it's not aware of Stringer's plan to work with group to combat antisemitism despite mayoral candidate's claim
Longshot Big Apple mayoral candidate Scott Stringer's claim that he'd work with the Anti-Defamation League to root out antisemitism is news to the non-profit. An ADL spokesperson said Sunday that the organization is not aware of 'any authorized plans' to work with the former city comptroller, who said over the weekend he would use tech to help cops 'predict and prevent' biased attacks while referencing the ADL. 'We are not aware of any authorized plans to partner with Mr. Stringer and, as a nonprofit organization, we would not partner with any candidate for elective office,' the spokesperson told The Post. But Stringer's team stressed the candidate wasn't offering a campaign plan and would only implement a version of something that the ADL already has online if elected mayor. The apparent divide between ADL and Stringer comes after the lefty mayoral hopeful told members of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side he would have the NYPD and Office of Emergency Management use 'advanced monitoring tools' to flag social media posts that incite violence or signal threats during and after an international emergency. The ADL Center on Extremism uses a 'first-of-its-kind' interactive map that allows users to detail specific incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism by state and across the country. 'One of my first partnerships will be with the Anti-Defamation League on a project that goes beyond monitoring antisemitism after the fact,' Stringer said, according to remarks provided by the campaign. 'Instead, we will work to predict and prevent violence before it happens.' A spokesperson for Stringer also claimed Sunday the pol was only promoting the ADL's resources when asked about the claimed partnership. 'The ADL has one of the best tools available, and this one has been widely cited by Jewish thought leaders and elected officials,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'It's been broadly promoted and positioned as a best practice. We should use the best tools and resources available to fight antisemitism — especially from groups that have long led the way on this issue. 'Employing best practices is good leadership, not an implication of a formal campaign partnership. The ADL has welcomed others promoting their resources.' Jewish New Yorkers have faced a disturbing spike in hate since Hamas launched its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, leading to the war in Gaza. Stringer, who is Jewish and a Zionist, has been polling in the single digits with the Democratic primary for mayor just weeks away.
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
On This Day, June 2: U.S. F-16 shot down over Bosnia O'Grady rescued
1 of 6 | Capt. Scott O'Grady gives a press conference on June 10, 1995, eight days after his F-16 Fighting Falcon was shot down over Bosnia. After six days of evasion, he was rescued by U.S. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. File Photo by SRA Tana R. Hamilton/ U.S. National Archives On this date in history: In 1865, the Civil War officially came to an end when Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi, signed the surrender terms offered by Union negotiators. In 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland, 49, married Frances Folsom, the 21-year-old daughter of his former law partner, in a White House ceremony. The bride became the youngest first lady in U.S. history. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act into law, extending citizenship to all Native Americans born within the United States and its territories. In 1946, in a national referendum, voters in Italy decided the country should become a republic rather than return to a monarchy. The results were officially announced three days later after votes were counted. File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in London's Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury. A year earlier, upon receiving word of her father's death, the former Princess Elizabeth broke down and wept. In 1985, police near San Francisco arrested Leonard Lake, who, along with an accomplice, Charles Ng, were accused of between 11 to 25 murders. Lake killed himself in jail before he could go to trial. Ng was convicted in 11 homicides in 1999 and sentenced to death. In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton clinched the Democratic presidential nomination. In 1995, a U.S. F-16 fighter-jet was shot down by a Serb-launched missile while on patrol over Bosnia. The pilot, Air Force Capt. Scott O'Grady, ejected safely and landed behind Serb lines. He was rescued six days later. In 1997, a federal jury in Denver convicted Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. He was sentenced to death and executed June 11, 2001. In 2004, Ken Jennings won his first game on Jeopardy! It started a string that ended after a record 74 wins and more than $2.5 million in winnings. File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI In 2010, a 52-year-old British taxi driver was accused of a shooting rampage in which 13 people were slain and 11 others injured before he killed himself. In 2014, Seattle's City Council approved a $15 hourly minimum wage -- the highest in the United States. In 2024, Mexicans elect former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as their first female and first Jewish president. File Photo by Mario Guzman/EPA-EFE
