Thirty-four men have been executed by court order in the US this year, with eight more scheduled before its close, five of whom are due to die in the next eight days.
This year's total already significantly surpasses the 25 executions carried out last year. It could mark the highest figure since 2012, when 43 inmates were put to death, though it remains considerably below the modern peak of 98 executions in 1999.
