The Delaware Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state’s death penalty law violates the Sixth Amendment, and is thus unconstitutional.
The decision, which was split and unsigned by the majority, means capital punishment could come to an end in the Delaware.
The court’s 148-page opinion held that the state’s death penalty law gives judges, independent of juries, to ability to find “the existence of ‘any aggravating circumstance'” that would be required to impose a death sentence.
The decision is in response to a similar one by the U.S. Supreme Court in January that has brought executions in Florida to a halt, and forced the state to revise its death penalty law.
Delaware’s most recent execution was in 2012, and 18 people currently are on death row in the state. Since 1976, Delaware has carried out 16 executions.
It is unclear if the ruling will apply retroactively or if the state will appeal the decision in federal court.
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty celebrated the decision.
“Really excited about today’s Delaware news! A big thanks to everyone working to abolish the unfair, racist, costly, risky #deathpenalty!” the group tweeted Tuesday night.
