US Criminals on Death Row

[CheekyChops]

Why the delay between somone being detained on death row and their execution? I understand that they have appeals and stuff but the average prisioner seems to spend 10+ years on there. Does the appeals process really take that long?

One specific example I am looking at now, in Texas a prisoner has been there since 1976!

[kempie]

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?&d id=1397