Umair Gaines
The death penalty is legal in Texas for individuals who were at least 18 years old at the time of the crime. Texas has executed 595 people since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976, making it the state with the highest number of executions. The state's first execution occurred in 1819, and hanging was the means of execution until 1923, when Texas changed its execution laws to require the use of the electric chair. Between 1924 and 1964, 361 inmates were electrocuted in Texas, with the last being Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964. In 1977, Texas adopted lethal injection as the primary means of execution, and it has since executed 595 offenders using this method. While the electric chair is no longer the primary means of execution in Texas, it is still authorized as an alternative method in some states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is the electric chair legal in Texas? | Yes, the electric chair is legal in Texas. Lethal injection is the primary means of execution in Texas, but electrocution is also authorized. |
| Number of executions by electric chair in Texas | 361 |
| First execution by electric chair in Texas | February 8, 1924 |
| Last execution by electric chair in Texas | July 30, 1964 |
| Current number of people under sentence of death in Texas | 2,557 (as of October 1, 2020) |
| Total number of executions in Texas since 1976 | 595 |
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What You'll Learn
Texas's electric chair history
Texas has a long history of capital punishment, with the first execution in the state taking place in 1819. Hanging was the primary method of execution in Texas from 1819 to 1923. In 1923, Texas changed its execution laws, requiring that all executions be carried out using the electric chair and that they take place at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, also known as the Huntsville Unit. This law also prohibited public executions and terminated county responsibility for executions. The first inmate to be executed by electrocution in Texas was Charles Reynolds, who was put to death on February 8, 1924, along with four other inmates: Ewell Morris, George Washington, Mack Matthews, and Melvin Johnson. On that day, Texas executed the most inmates in a single day in the state's history.
Between 1928 and 1965, the Huntsville Unit housed male death-row inmates. During this period, Texas executed the third-highest number of inmates in the country, following Georgia and New York. By 1965, however, a national civil rights movement, a U.S. Supreme Court that encouraged death sentence appeals, and a growing popular disdain for capital punishment led to an unofficial national moratorium on executions. Joseph Johnson, executed on July 30, 1964, was the last Texan to die in the electric chair before this pause in capital punishment. In total, 361 inmates were electrocuted in the state.
In 1972, capital punishment was declared "cruel and unusual punishment" by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the death sentences of 45 men on death row in Texas were commuted to life sentences. However, in 1973, revisions to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed for the death penalty, and executions resumed in 1974. In 1977, Texas adopted lethal injection as a means of execution and carried out its first execution using this method in 1982. Lethal injection has since become the primary means of execution in Texas and across the United States.
Today, capital punishment is still legal in Texas for individuals who are at least 18 years old at the time of the crime and are convicted of capital felonies, which include the murder of a public safety officer or firefighter in the line of duty and murder during the commission of specified felonies. Texas leads the nation in the number of executions since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976, executing 595 offenders as of May 20, 2025. While lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Texas, electrocution remains an authorized method, and inmates may choose this option.
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Texas's current primary execution methods
Texas has executed 595 people since the resumption of the death penalty in 1976, making it the state with the highest number of executions. The death penalty is a legal penalty in Texas for murder and participation in a felony resulting in death if committed by an individual who is at least 18 years old.
In 1923, Texas changed its execution laws to require that executions be carried out on the electric chair and that they take place at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. The first executions on the electric chair were on February 8, 1924, when five inmates had their death sentences carried out. The last Texan to die in the electric chair was Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964, before a national pause in capital punishment.
In 1973, revisions to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed for the death penalty and executions to resume. Texas adopted lethal injection as a means of execution in 1977 and carried out the first execution by lethal injection in 1982. Lethal injection is the primary means of execution in all states where it is legal except South Carolina. It is the most widely used method of execution, but many states authorize other methods, including electrocution.
Therefore, Texas's current primary execution method is lethal injection, with the electric chair being an alternative method.
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Texas's death penalty laws
Texas law states that capital punishment is a legal penalty for murder and participation in a felony resulting in death, as long as the offender is at least 18 years old. Texas has executed 595 offenders since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976, making it the state with the highest number of executions.
In 1923, Texas changed its execution laws, requiring that executions be carried out by electric chair at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. The first execution by electrocution was that of Charles Reynolds in 1924. A total of 361 people were electrocuted in Texas, with the last being Joseph Johnson in 1964.
In 1972, capital punishment was declared "cruel and unusual punishment" by the U.S. Supreme Court, and all death sentences in Texas were commuted to life imprisonment. However, in 1973, revisions to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed for the death penalty, and executions resumed in 1974. Texas adopted lethal injection as a means of execution in 1977 and carried out the first execution by lethal injection in 1982, becoming the first jurisdiction in the world to do so.
Texas statutes provide for the death penalty in cases of aggravated sexual assault committed by an offender previously convicted of the same against a child under 14. Additionally, under the Law of Parties, offenders can be sentenced to death if they are present while a capital crime is being committed, based on being "criminally responsible for the conduct of another." Texas has also executed individuals with intellectual disabilities, such as Mario Marquez, who had an IQ of 65 and the adaptive skills of a 7-year-old.
The state's appeal process has been criticized as too lengthy, and some have argued that the federal appellate structure contributes to Texas's high number of executions. In 2005, Texas implemented life imprisonment without parole as an option for capital cases, and by 2021, the usage of the death penalty in Texas courts was on the decline.
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Texas's death penalty appeal process
Texas authorized the use of the electric chair in 1923, and the first execution by electrocution took place on February 8, 1924. The state's last inmate executed by electrocution was Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964. Lethal injection was adopted as a means of execution in 1977, and the first inmate was executed by lethal injection in 1982. Texas has executed 595 offenders since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976.
Texas's appeal process has been criticized as being too lengthy. The process typically involves the prosecutor and the defense filing briefs and oral arguments before a panel of judges. The judges can then affirm the conviction and sentence, reverse the conviction, or reverse the death sentence. The losing side can then petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting a review of federal constitutional issues.
The second stage of the appellate process, known as State Post-Conviction, involves petitions being filed with the original trial judge and then appealed to any intermediate courts before finally reaching the state's highest court. At this stage, the defendant may raise issues surrounding the conviction and sentence that are outside of the record.
The final stage of the appeals process is Federal Habeas Corpus, which is limited to federal issues raised on appeal in the State courts. Federal death row inmates can raise issues outside the trial record during this stage. A petition to the U.S. District Court is the first step, with the decision made by a judge reviewing briefs filed by both the prosecution and the defense. The judge may grant a hearing on new evidence, dismiss the petition, overturn the conviction, or overturn the sentence. Permission to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals must be granted by the U.S. District Court or the Court of Appeals.
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Texas's death penalty statistics
Texas has executed 595 people since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976, making it the state with the highest number of executions. This accounts for more than a third of the national total. Even per capita, Texas has the nation's second-highest execution rate, behind only neighbouring Oklahoma.
Texas changed its execution laws in 1923, requiring that executions be carried out by electric chair at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. The first executions on the electric chair took place on February 8, 1924, when five inmates had their death sentences carried out. A total of 361 people were electrocuted in Texas, with the last being Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964.
In 1972, capital punishment was declared "cruel and unusual punishment" by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the death sentences of 45 men in Texas were commuted to life sentences. However, in 1973, revisions to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed for the death penalty, and executions resumed in 1974. Lethal injection was adopted as the primary method of execution in 1977, and the first inmate was executed by this method in 1982.
Texas has been criticised for its lengthy appeal process, which can cause delays in executions. In addition, the state's death penalty statute has been criticised for not recognising intellectual disability as a mitigating factor. In one notable case, Mario Marquez, a prisoner with an IQ of 65, was executed in 1995, despite his intellectual disability not being presented as evidence during his trial due to a legal flaw in Texas law.
Public opinion on the death penalty in Texas appears to be shifting. The rate of death sentencing has declined significantly over the last decade, and voters in some counties have expressed a preference for alternatives to the death penalty, such as life in prison with or without the possibility of parole.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the electric chair is legal in Texas. Lethal injection is the primary means of execution in Texas, but the state also authorizes electrocution as a legal penalty.
The State of Texas authorized the use of the electric chair in 1923, and ordered all executions to be carried out by the state in Huntsville.
A total of 361 inmates were electrocuted in the State of Texas.
Joseph Johnson was the last person to be executed by electric chair in Texas, on July 30, 1964.
