Probing Question: Is the death penalty on the decline in America?

In November, the Commonwealth of Virginia executed John A. Muhammad, the infamous `D.C. sniper` responsible for 10 murders seven years earlier. On the eve of his execution, a Washington Post poll found 66 percent of Virginians supporting the death penalty and 31 percent opposed. Though still high, these numbers represent a drop in support for capital punishment in the state of Virginia from four years ago, when 72 percent of likely voters said they favored the policy. Despite this recent high-profile case, 2008 saw the fewest executions in the state since 1999.

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