Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of...

Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of executions in 1999 (14) and the number since reinstatement (73). But among large states, Virginia executes the largest number of criminals per resident. Virginia would have had more executions this year but for last minute stays by the U.S. Supreme Court, and even some by the Virginia Supreme Court, which has been one of least likely courts in the country to grant any relief in capital cases. The U.S. Supreme Court stopped executions in order to look at Virginia's application of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and at issues involving jury instructions. The Virginia Supreme Court temporarily stopped executions of juvenile offenders if the defendants' parents were not informed that they were being tried as adults. However, execution dates for two juvenile offenders have been set for January 2000.