80-year-old death row prisoner Dominick Occhicone is scheduled for execution in Florida on July 28, 2026, for the 1986 murder of Martha Artzner.
Five jurors voted to spare Dominick’s life, and even the sentencing court recognized that he was acting under extreme mental and emotional disturbance. His case reflects the devastating consequences of untreated addiction, emotional crisis, and human failure—not a problem that another execution can solve.
This is already the 12th death warrant of 2026, following an unprecedented execution pace in 2025. Florida led the nation in executions in 2025 by setting its own record for executions, with Governor DeSantis signing 19 death warrants last year. Let’s make sure Florida does not repeat this record in 2026.
While most states have moved away from the death penalty, Florida is accelerating executions at an alarming rate. Each warrant signed underscores the state’s embrace of a punishment that is arbitrary, racially biased, and out of step with evolving standards of decency.