The US Supreme Court upheld the use of a controversial sedative in executions by lethal injection Monday, saying it does not violate the Constitution. Here are facts on the current state of the death penalty and lethal injection in the United States. A total of 19 US states and the US capital Washington have abolished the death penalty: Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, home to the US capital.