David V. Baker is a lecturer in sociology and criminology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. He holds a doctorate in sociology and a law degree. He has received National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships to study American slavery at the University of California at Irvine, and immigration policy at the University of California at Los Angeles and is deputy editor of the journal Criminal Justice Studies.

Table of Contents

Introduction delete

Organization

Part I. Theoretical and Empirical Frameworks

1.¿Theoretical Frameworks delete¿6

Chivalry Theory

Evil Woman Theory

Equality Theory

A Critical Perspective

Capital Justice and the U.S. Supreme Court

Capital Justice and Women in the Modern Era

Concluding Remarks

2.¿Empirical Frameworks

Data

Characteristics

Historical Contours

Concluding Remarks

Part II. Historical Context

3.¿The First Historical Trend, 1630s-1750s

Executions of White Women

Executions of Black Women delete83 delete

Executions of American Indian Women

Concluding Remarks

4.¿The Second Historical Trend, 1760s-1890s

Executions of White Women

Executions of Black Women

Executions of Mexican Women

Executions of American Indian Women

Execution of a Native Hawaiian Female

Correcting the Historical Record

Concluding Remarks delete132 delete

5.¿The Third Historical Trend, 1900s-2010s ¿134

Executions of White Women

Executions of Black Women

Execution of an American Indian Woman

Correcting the Historical Record

Contrasting Lynchings and Executions

Concluding Remarks

Part III. Wrongful Convictions, Judicial Commutations, Executive Clemency and Women on Death Row Today

6.¿Wrongful Convictions in Potentially Capital Cases ¿174

Data

Factors Contributing to False Convictions

Predatory Murder

Spousal Murder

Child Murder

Shaken Baby Syndrome

Medical Neglect Cases Motivated by Religion

Manslaughter

Concluding Remarks

7.¿Judicial Reversals of Capital Convictions ¿229

Early Cases of Judicial Reversals

Judicial Reversals Post-Furman

Concluding Remarks

8.¿Executive Clemency of Condemned Women ¿290

Clemency and Gender

Women on Death Row Granted Clemency

Clemency in the 18th Century

Clemency in the 19th Century

Clemency in the 20th Century

Concluding Remarks

9.¿The Female Death Row Population ¿335

Institutional Indifference delete337

Women Foreign Nationals delete338 delete delete

Deaths of Condemned Women by Natural Causes

Characteristics of the Female Death Row Population

Predatory Murderers

Child Murderers

Spousal Murderers

Life Without Parole

Concluding Remarks delete372 ¿

Conclusion delete

The First Historical Trend

The Second Historical Trend

The Third Historical Trend

Chapter Notes delete

Bibliography delete

Index delete