Ohio's Yost writes letter to US AG Bondi to help restore Ohio death penalty
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost addressed the United States Attorney General Pam Bondi in an open letter requesting help in speeding up the death penalty process in Ohio
In the letter, Yost claims that the current status quo in Ohio "allows most ruthless killers to receive a death sentence with little fear that the punishment will be carried out."
As of March 10, about 114 Ohio inmates are on death row with the last execution carried out by the state occurring on July 18, 2018, when Robert Van Hook was put under lethal injection for a murder that he committed 33 years prior.
According to the letter, Yost cosigns U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that “for too long, politicians and judges who oppose capital punishment have defied and subverted the laws of our country," and cites Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's postponement of three executions set for 2025 as "unacceptable."
"Without the assistance of the federal government, Ohio’s situation is unlikely to change," said Yost.
Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins applauded Yost's efforts to restore the death penalty in a media release.
“We will do everything in our power to help Attorney General Yost in getting the death penalty re-started in Ohio,” Watkins said.
In a media release by the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office, Watkins advises Ohioans to consider capital punishment when voting for Governor in November of 2026.
Watkins has also written an open letter to Bondi and another directed to Yost in February requesting assistance in restoring the death penalty to Ohio and supplying the state with the drugs needed to carry out executions.
"Ohio must follow [the country] by carrying out its law, and I believe that you, as directed by the President, can help Ohio's present and future officials do so," said Watkins
Yost is slated to run for Ohio Governor in the 2026 Ohio Gubernatorial Election.
Below is the open letter written by Yost, followed by the previous letters written by Watkins.
