Utah | Lawmaker seeks to fast-track executions as inmates spend decades on death row

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah death row inmates routinely spend three decades or more awaiting execution, with some dying of natural causes before their sentences can be carried out. One Republican lawmaker says the system is broken and is pushing legislation to accelerate the appeals process.

Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, sponsor of  House Bill 495, told a House committee on Feb. 19, 2026, that prolonged delays undermine the death penalty's purpose and burden taxpayers with indefinite appeals. She cited the case of Ralph Menzies, who spent 36 years on death row before dying of natural causes last year after his scheduled firing squad execution was halted over competency concerns.

"The average time from sentence to execution in Utah is now 33 years," Pierucci said during the hearing before the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. Nationally, she noted, the average is about 22 years. "When you look at how much money it is costing us to have indefinite appeals and no deadlines ... something has to change."

Restructure aspects of capital cases

HB 495 would restructure aspects of capital cases without expanding eligibility for the death penalty. Key provisions include requiring an early psychological evaluation of a defendant's IQ to determine eligibility for execution under federal standards barring the death penalty for those with intellectual disabilities. It would also limit the timing for raising post-conviction competency concerns and expedite certain appeals processes in state courts.

Supporters, including House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, argue the changes would save taxpayer dollars while preserving due process. Schultz called current timelines "ridiculous" and unsustainable, pointing to Menzies' case as evidence that lengthy delays mock jury verdicts and prolong suffering for victims' families.

Prosecutors who have handled capital cases echoed those concerns. Piute County Attorney Scott Burns, who prosecuted several Utah death row inmates, spoke on behalf of victims' families during the hearing, describing the emotional toll of waiting decades for justice after horrific crimes.

Defense attorneys and death penalty opponents pushed back sharply. Critics argued the bill targets outdated issues rather than the current system and could infringe on constitutional protections. They questioned whether the measures would truly shorten timelines meaningfully or simply create new procedural hurdles that invite further litigation.

A handful of inmates awaiting execution

Utah's death row has shrunk in recent years. As of early 2026, the state has only a handful of inmates awaiting execution — down from a peak of 11 in 2004 — with no new death sentences issued since 2008. The state has executed eight people since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, while four others died naturally on death row. Utah's last execution occurred in 2010, though preparations have advanced in some cases.

The bill could potentially affect high-profile pending cases, including that of Tyler Robinson, charged with the 2025 murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and any changes to appeals standards or timelines could influence the case's trajectory.

HB 495 advanced from the committee and now heads to the full House for consideration during the 2026 legislative session. If passed and signed into law, the changes would apply to future capital proceedings and could reshape how Utah carries out — or fails to carry out — its death sentences.

Source: DPN, Staff, Agencies, AI, February 20, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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