The campus community is invited to a free teach-in by Dr. Jenna Kieckhaefer, associate professor in the Department of Criminology, that examines execution procedures and the current state of the death penalty in the United States.

On Sept. 30, Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Colleen Slemmer. Pike survived after officials administered two doses of the lethal injection drug. The case has raised questions about execution procedures, oversight and what happens when an execution does not go as planned. Tennessee’s governor has paused further executions while the state reviews what occurred.

Kieckhaefer will use the case as a starting point to discuss capital punishment in the United States, complications associated with execution methods, the recent use of firing squads and the legal, financial and ethical questions surrounding the death penalty. She will also consider California’s position, which retains the death penalty as an option but has not carried out an execution in 20 years and has had an executive moratorium since 2019.

Date: Thursday, Oct. 22
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library, Room 3212

For more information, contact jkieckhaefer@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Kieckhaefer is a legal psychologist whose teaching and research examine how psychological science applies to the criminal justice system, including eyewitness evidence and wrongful convictions. Her expertise brings a perspective on decision-making and the consequences of error in capital cases.