That comes as the Department of Justice is considering a rule that would shorten the time between conviction and execution.
“Too many convicted killers are seeking to avoid justice through delays in the imposition of the death penalty. We will continue fighting to protect the verdicts lawfully delivered by Kentucky juries and the families who deserve justice,” Coleman said in a Monday press release.
Re-establishing the death penalty in Kentucky has been a priority for Coleman since he took office. The last execution to be carried out in Kentucky was in 2008 following the murder conviction of Marco Allen Chapman.
Since then, executions have been on hold. A 2010 temporary injunction on behalf of Ralph Baze, who was convicted in 1994 for murdering a sheriff and deputy in Powell County, argues the state does not have enough safeguards for prisoners with intellectual disabilities.
Coleman requested last June that Gov. Andy Beshear sign a death warrant for Baze’s execution. Beshear declined. In November, Coleman asked the Franklin Circuit Court to overrule the governor’s decision.
Coleman is currently arguing for the injunction to be dismissed. His office says its dismissal would clear the way for “about a dozen executions.”
Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 251, which allows the Kentucky Department of Corrections to bypass the administrative regulations process that normally approves how it carries out the death penalty, overriding a veto from Beshear.
Proponents of the bill said it would cut through unnecessary red tape, while opponents argue those regulations are essential to protect inmates and hold the agency accountable.
There are currently 24 people on death row, according to the Kentucky Department of Corrections.
