Umair Gaines
Florida is one of eight US states that still have the electric chair as a means of execution. The state's electric chair, nicknamed Old Sparky, was used from 1924 until 1999, when it was replaced by lethal injection following several botched executions. However, death row inmates in Florida can still opt for the electric chair over lethal injection.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does Florida still do the electric chair? | Yes, Florida is one of eight states that still have the electric chair on the books. |
| Who can choose the electric chair? | Death row inmates can choose their method of execution. |
| How many death row inmates are there in Florida? | There are 291-298 death row inmates in Florida. |
| What are the other methods of execution? | Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Florida. A bill was proposed in March 2025 to allow executions by firing squad, nitrogen gas, or other methods permitted under the constitution. |
| Where is the execution chamber in Florida? | The only execution chamber in Florida is located at Florida State Prison in Starke. |
| What is the history of the electric chair in Florida? | The electric chair was first used in Florida in 1924 and was the only method of execution until 2000. |
| What is the electric chair nicknamed? | The electric chair in Florida is nicknamed "Old Sparky." |
| Why did Florida switch from hanging to the electric chair? | The Florida Legislature passed a law in 1923 replacing hanging with the electric chair as a more humane method of execution. |
| When was the last execution in Florida? | The last execution in Florida was on February 23, 2023. |
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What You'll Learn
Florida's death penalty history
Florida has a long and complex history with the death penalty. In 1923, the Florida Legislature passed a law replacing hanging with the electric chair. The state's current three-legged electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky," was built in 1999.
In 1972, the United States Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, but Florida was the first state to reintroduce it after Furman v. Georgia struck down all existing death penalty laws. Since then, the Supreme Court has ruled Florida's death penalty practices unconstitutional several times, including in Enmund v. Florida (1982), where the Court ruled that Florida violated the Eighth Amendment by attempting to apply the death penalty to defendants who were minor participants in a crime that resulted in murder but who did not commit the killing themselves.
Florida has also had a number of high-profile cases where individuals came close to execution or were exonerated after being wrongly convicted. In 1983, Brown came within 15 hours of execution before a Florida judge issued a stay, and his conviction was eventually overturned. In 1985, Juan Ramos was convicted of murder based on later-discredited evidence from a scent-tracking dog, but he was acquitted at a retrial in 1987. Florida has had 30 exonerations from death row, more than any other state.
In the 1990s, Florida botched three electric chair executions and subsequently began using lethal injection as its execution method. In 2002, Aileen Wuornos, called the first female serial killer by the media, was executed. In 2016, Florida statutorily abolished judicial override, the process by which trial judges could impose death sentences despite an advisory jury's recommendation for life. In 2017, Florida abolished non-unanimous jury recommendations for death, requiring a unanimous sentencing jury recommendation before a judge could impose a death sentence.
In 2022, two secrecy bills unanimously passed Florida's criminal justice committees, exempting the state's Department of Corrections from disclosing information about lethal injection drugs and executioners. In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill ending the requirement for juries to vote unanimously to recommend capital punishment in capital felony cases for a judge to sentence a defendant to death.
In 2025, the Florida Legislature passed a bill providing for the automatic imposition of the death penalty for certain people convicted of a capital offense, despite longstanding precedent that mandatory death penalty laws are unconstitutional. This bill mirrored a law struck down as unconstitutional in 1976.
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The electric chair's introduction
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The method was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York, as a more humane alternative to hanging. Southwick's idea came about following a string of accidents involving arc lighting, a type of outdoor street lighting that used high voltages, which was often fatal.
In 1886, New York State governor David B. Hill set up a three-member death penalty commission, chaired by human rights advocate Elbridge Thomas Gerry, to investigate more humane means of execution. The commission surveyed the history of execution and sought the opinions of government officials, lawyers, and medical experts across the state. The majority of respondents recommended hanging over electrocution, with a few recommending the abolition of capital punishment. However, electrical experts such as Elihu Thomson and Thomas Edison recommended the use of high voltage AC connected to the head and spine.
The electric chair was first used in 1890 and was adopted by New York State in 1899. It became the primary method of capital punishment in the United States for nearly a century. However, its use has declined with the adoption of lethal injection, which is perceived as more humane. As of 2025, electrocution remains an option in several states, including Florida, where inmates may choose lethal injection instead.
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The electric chair's malfunctions
Florida currently allows for lethal injection as an alternative to the electric chair as a means of execution. The state's current three-legged electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky,," was built in 1999.
The electric chair has malfunctioned during several executions in Florida. Here are some notable instances:
Jesse Tafero, May 4, 1990
During the execution of Jesse Tafero, the electric chair malfunctioned three times, causing flames to leap from his head. Tafero's botched execution led to a new debate on humane methods of execution, and several states subsequently ceased using the electric chair, adopting lethal injection instead.
Pedro Medina, March 25, 1997
A crown of foot-high flames shot from the headpiece during Medina's execution, filling the execution chamber with thick smoke and gagging the two dozen witnesses present. An official manually cut off the power to end the two-minute cycle of 2,000 volts. Experts later concluded that the fire was caused by the improper application of a sponge (designed to conduct electricity) to Medina's head.
Allen Lee "Tiny" Davis, July 8, 1999
Davis, who weighed approximately 344-350 pounds, screamed in pain during his electrocution while blood poured down his shirt. Authorities claimed that the blood was due to a bloody nose. This execution was the first in Florida's new electric chair, built to accommodate a person of Davis's size.
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Lethal injection as an alternative
Florida has carried out 105 executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The most recent execution was that of Michael Duane Zack, who was executed by lethal injection. Legislation passed in 2000 allows for lethal injection as an alternative to the electric chair.
Lethal injection is the most widely used method of execution in the United States, with electrocution, lethal gas, and firing squad being other authorized methods. The use of lethal injection as an alternative to the electric chair has been a topic of debate in Florida and other states. Some legislators have advocated for a return to the electric chair or other methods due to the difficulty in obtaining the drugs required for lethal injections.
The electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky," has a long history in Florida. The state's first electric chair was built by prison inmates in 1923, and the current three-legged chair was installed in 1999. However, Florida has had a troubled history with botched electric chair executions, such as those of Jesse Tafero, Pedro Medina, and Allen Lee Davis in the 1990s. These botched executions led the state to begin using lethal injection as its primary method of execution.
Lethal injection is considered by some to be a more humane method of execution than the electric chair. However, there have been concerns about the lack of medical participation in lethal injections, which can lead to inexperienced technicians performing the injections and causing extreme pain to the prisoner. Additionally, the resistance of drug manufacturers to provide the drugs used in lethal injections has further complicated the use of this method.
In recent years, Florida has passed secrecy bills that exempt the state from disclosing information about the companies that provide lethal injection drugs or the people who administer them. This lack of transparency has raised concerns among some about the potential for cruel and unusual punishment during executions.
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Inmates' choice of execution method
Florida currently houses 291 death row inmates, 288 men and three women. The state uses two methods of execution: lethal injection and electrocution. The choice is up to the inmate.
In 1923, the Florida Legislature passed a law replacing hanging with the electric chair, and stated that all future executions would be performed under state jurisdiction inside prisons. The first electrocution was that of Frank Johnson on October 7, 1924.
The electric chair became a subject of strong controversy in the 1990s after three executions received considerable media attention and were labelled as "botched" by opponents: Jesse Tafero in 1990, Pedro Medina in 1997, and Allen Lee Davis in 1999. After the Davis execution, lethal injection was enabled as the default method.
In 2024, Alabama became the first state to use nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. The inmate, Kenneth Smith, was executed in 22 minutes. Florida has not yet used this method.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Florida still does the electric chair, but lethal injection is the default method of execution.
Murder can be punished by death if the murderer was previously convicted of a felony and under imprisonment, placed on community control, or on felony probation. The defendant must have previously been convicted of another capital felony or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence. The defendant must have knowingly created a great risk of death to many people. It must have been committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an accomplice, in the commission of, or an attempt to commit a specified felony (such as aggravated child abuse, arson, kidnapping, etc.).
There are currently 291-298 prisoners on death row in Florida.
