Why always at the last minute ?

[MOTO13]

More importantly, why is the US the last country in the West to still have the ancient punishment of death?

You act like there is something inherently wrong with the death penalty...there isn't. It is a 100% cure against future killing from the convicted individual. No other form of imprisonment or rehabiliatation has this phenomenal success rate. You want to stop the death penalty? It's a relatively easy fix...have people stop murdering others. I think that once convicted and the sentence for death is handed down, it should be carried out very quickly...24 hours or sooner.

[jacknife737]

More importantly, why is the US the last country in the West to still have the ancient punishment of death?

In the developed world, Japan still has it.

Also, if you look at public opinion polling of some countries that have currently abolished the death penalty, sometimes the majority of the population would like it to be reinstated: (ie take the UK for example http://www.angus-reid.com/wp-content..._Death_BRI.pdf )

[_Lost_]

We only hear about the ones that are stopped at the last minute. The rest get post poned or otherwise at less noteworthy times. Executions are nearly always being appealed from the day they are sentenced to the day they die or are acquitted.