State Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, has sent a letter to Gov. Andy Beshear, formally urging him to sign a death warrant authorizing the execution of Ralph Baze.
Baze was convicted of murdering Powell County Sheriff Steve Bennett and Deputy Arthur Briscoe more than 30 years ago. Smith’s letter emphasizes the duty of the governor to uphold jury verdicts and provide long-overdue justice to the families of the slain officers.
“Sheriff Bennett and Deputy Briscoe gave their lives in service to their community, and their families have waited far too long for justice,” Smith said. “Kentucky juries and courts have spoken with clarity. Every appeal has been exhausted. The verdict of the jury reflects the will of the people of Kentucky, and that verdict must be respected.”
Baze, now 55, was sentenced to death in 1994 for the murders of the Powell County lawmen. His case became nationally significant in 2007 when the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed whether Kentucky’s lethal injection protocol was constitutional, prompting a nationwide pause in executions. Kentucky has not carried out an execution since 2008.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has recently renewed efforts to lift Kentucky’s death penalty moratorium and filed motions to resolve the 2010 Franklin Circuit Court injunction that halted executions. Coleman argues that the Department of Corrections has updated protocols and that federal action now provides a path to access lethal injection drugs.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Smith stated. “The attorney general has laid out a legal path forward. The federal government has pledged to help states obtain the necessary drugs. There are no more excuses. Only the governor stands in the way of justice being realized.”
Kentucky currently has 24 inmates on death row. Although the state has authorized lethal injection since 1998, executions have been stalled for 15 years following litigation over protocols and drug availability.
“Signing this warrant is not only a matter of law but a matter of respect for victims, their families, and every Kentuckian who expects the rule of law to be upheld,” Smith added. “Governor Beshear has a choice: stand with victims’ families and law enforcement, or continue to block the very justice our courts have demanded.”
File photo of Ralph Baze
