SEN. BRANDON SMITH URGES GOVERNOR BESHEAR TO SIGN DEATH WARRANT IN RALPH BAZE CASE
Letter calls on the governor to end decades of delay and honor the verdict delivered by a Kentucky jury
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2025) — State Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, has formally urged Governor Andy Beshear to correct course and sign a death warrant authorizing the execution of Ralph Baze. He was convicted of murdering Powell County Sheriff Steve Bennett and Deputy Arthur Briscoe more than 30 years ago. Smith’s letter, sent Friday, emphasizes the duty of the governor to uphold jury verdicts and provide long-overdue justice to the families of the slain officers.
“Sheriff Bennett and Deputy Briscoe gave their lives in service to their community, and their families have waited far too long for justice,” Smith said. “Kentucky juries and courts have spoken with clarity. Every appeal has been exhausted. The verdict of the jury reflects the will of the people of Kentucky, and that verdict must be respected.”
Baze, now 55, was sentenced to death in 1994 for the murders of the Powell County lawmen. His case became nationally significant in 2007 when the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed whether Kentucky’s lethal injection protocol was constitutional, prompting a nationwide pause in executions. Kentucky has not carried out an execution since 2008.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has recently renewed efforts to lift Kentucky’s death penalty moratorium and filed motions to resolve the 2010 Franklin Circuit Court injunction that halted executions. Coleman argues that the Department of Corrections has updated protocols and that federal action now provides a path to access lethal injection drugs.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Smith added. “The attorney general has laid out a legal path forward. The federal government has pledged to help states obtain the necessary drugs. There are no more excuses. Only the governor stands in the way of justice being realized.”
While Gov. Beshear said during his 2023 campaign that he supports the death penalty “for some crimes so terrible,” he has declined to sign a warrant for Baze. Families of the slain officers have said they have received no communication from the Governor’s Office.
Kentucky currently has 24 inmates on death row. Although the state has authorized lethal injection since 1998, executions have been stalled for 15 years following litigation over protocols and drug availability. Neighboring states including Tennessee and Ohio have grappled with similar issues, but Kentucky is now under growing pressure to act given updated corrections protocols and recent federal directives.
“Signing this warrant is not only a matter of law but a matter of respect for victims, their families, and every Kentuckian who expects the rule of law to be upheld,” Smith said. “Governor Beshear has a choice: stand with victims’ families and law enforcement, or continue to block the very justice our courts have demanded.”
A full copy of Sen. Smith’s letter to Governor Beshear can be found by clicking here.
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Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, represents the 30th Senate District, which includes Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Leslie, Magoffin, Morgan, Perry, Powell, and Wolfe Counties. He serves as co-chair of the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Banking and Insurance; Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection; and Transportation. Smith is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Protection. In 2024, he served on the Artificial Intelligence Task Force. Additionally, he is a member of the Blockchain Working Group and the Housing Policy Advisory Committee.
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