Greater number of death penalty trials scheduled this year
The death penalty trial of accused torture-murderer William Dickerson Jr. this April in Charleston will mark the start of a busy few months.
At least five death penalty cases are set for trial in the Lowcountry in the coming year: three in Charleston and Berkeley counties, and two in Dorchester County.
Typically, the area sees one death penalty case every few years.
Reasons behind the increased frequency are many, ranging from the severity of these violent crimes, to schedules affected by arrests, judge issues and other timetables.
The local lineup comes as the frequency of death penalty cases nationally is continuing to decline. The drop is so significant that last year, 37 people were executed in nine states, the lowest total in 14 years, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
South Carolina's Death Row is housed at the Lieber prison in Dorchester County, and is home to 58 inmates.
Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.
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