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Arizona news

Arizona faces 'reckoning' in death row cases after ignoring high court precedent for years

Jimmy Jenkins, Elena Santa Cruz
Arizona Republic

Back-to-back U.S. Supreme Court rulings have put Arizona's death penalty under the microscope and could have far-reaching implications for how the state sentences convicted murderers.

Already, the rulings have forced another look at old capital cases.

As many as 30 of the 109 people on Arizona's death row could have their death penalties — but not their guilty verdicts — reconsidered, legal experts say. It's not yet clear how that might happen, but it could involve new sentencing hearings or trials.