Maryland Repeals Death Penalty
This month, Maryland became the sixth state in six years to repeal the death penalty. With that said, the total number of states that have abolished capital punishment is now eighteen (18). For years, Maryland’s Governor, Martin O’Malley has championed the repeal of death penalty in his state. After signing the bill into law, Governor O’Malley said that the risk of executing an innocent person weighed heavily in his dedication to ending capital punishment in Maryland. The success of the repeal effort in Maryland has given momentum to repeal efforts in Delaware where an abolition bill was passed by the state Senate this week. The next step in Delaware is for the legislation to go before the House. The Delaware Governor, Jack Markell, has refused to say whether he favors the legislation.
The US criminal justice system is based on guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s the foundation of our justice system, built to serve and protect the wrongly accused. But in the case of Troy Davis and countless others on death row, it’s a principle that was defied, ignored, and trampled on. As Troy Davis wrote in a letter when he was facing execution in 2008 :” … no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe.
With the recent decision to abolish the death penalty in Maryland, we have moved one step closer to dismantling our unjust criminal justice system city by city, state by state and country by country. Amnesty International and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have been seeking to do just that for decades. Specifically, these organizations have been quite successful in raising awareness about the problems with criminal justice system and the need to end the death penalty. The number of persons supporting their work is growing as demonstrated in the case of Troy Davis. Their petition seeking clemency in the Troy Davis case was signed by almost one million persons. NAACP and Amnesty International have experienced steady progress in this important undertaking to end the death penalty. However, the Troy Davis case reminds us that more work needs to be done to end the death penalty across our nation.
The collective work done on Troy Davis’ case resounded with people all over the world. Next stop for the abolition of the death penalty nationwide is California, a state poised to make history this fall by ending its death penalty through a referendum. The struggle continues. But with each victory, we, as a nation, come closer to a world where human rights are respected, and executions are a thing of the past.
For further information on how you can get involved in efforts to end the penalty nationwide, please visit the websites for Amnesty International and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Equal Justice USA, and the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.
Sources: Delaware Senate approves repeal of death penalty, POLITICO, March 26, 2013, Associated Press. Amnesty International, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Innocence Project. The Campaign to End the Death Penalty.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
ADVANCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT TRAINING
For far too many women violence and danger are their constant companions. Despite concerted efforts to eradicate domestic violence, data indicates that intimate partner violence continues to pose a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of countless persons. Social science research indicates that one (1) in four (4) women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. [i] Indigent women are more vulnerable.
On average, more than three (3) women a day are murdered by their intimate partners in our country [ii]. Annually, women experience an estimated two (2) million women injuries resulting from an abusive relationship.[iii] Women who are between the ages of 20-24 years old are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.[iv] Research indicates that most incidents of domestic violence are not reported to the police. [v] The dearth of safe, decent, affordable housing causes many poor women to confront the unenviable choice of homelessness or remaining in a home plagued by violence and turmoil resulting from domestic violence.
Date: February 5-8, 2013
National Institute Crime Prevention
Location: Embassy Suites – Denver-Aurora, Colorado
Embassy Suites
4444 N. Havana Street
Denver-Aurora, Colorado
Hotel Reservations: Room Rates: Sleeping rooms are only $109.00 a night plus 14.75% tax. King Suite, Monday- Friday. / Free Shuttle From Airport. Mention the NICP Conference. The room block closes 14 days before the conference. Free hot breakfast and evening Manager’s Reception.
Conference Registration: Mail in registration form with check
Registration Fee: $475.00
New Training Topics: Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence Family History, Strangulation, Women Who Use Violence, Cyber-Stalking, Do Orders for Protection Work? Helping the Children, Keys to a Successful Rape Investigation and Prosecution, Intimate Partner Rape, Difficulties Prosecuting D. V., Understanding Victim and Abuser Behaviors, Effective D. V. Intervention, Elder Abuse.
Who Should Attend: Law Enforcement Officers, Victim Advocates, Prosecutors, Probation Officers, Social Workers, Mental Health Workers, Rape Treatment Center Workers, Educators, Nurses, Military Police, and CID. *CEU’s for Colorado & Nevada LCSW
——————————————————————————–
AGENDA – (Agenda is subject to change)
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
8:30: Registration
9:00: Case History of Sexual Abuse (Sextons)
10:30: Keys to a Successful Rape Investigation and Prosecution
12:00: Lunch on your own
1:00: Child Sexual Abuse
3:00: Intimate Partner Rape
4:00: Discussion
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
9:00: Domestic Violence Is a Community Problem
10:30: Understanding Victim and Abuser Behaviors
12:00: Lunch on your own
1:00: What is this Doing to the Kids?
2:00: Effective Intervention is the Key
3:00: Recognizing Strangulation as a Crime
4:00: Discussion
Thursday, February 7, 2013
9:00: Women Who Use Violence
12:00: Lunch on your own
1:00: Elder Abuse
2:00: Cyber Stalking
3:00: Do Orders for Protection Protect?
4:00: Discussion
Friday, February 8, 2013
9:00: Is Victimless Prosecution Still Possible?
10:00: Predominant Aggressor
11:00: Typologies of Abusers
12:00: Closing and Certificates
Source: National Institute Crime Prevention. CDC. NCADV. National Coalition on Homelessness.
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Juvenile and Family Courts: 76th Annual Conference
76th Annual Conference
DATE: July 14, 2013 to July 17, 2013
LOCATION: Seattle, WA, The Westin Seattle
DESCRIPTION: The event will feature a wide range of juvenile and family law topics including child abuse and neglect, trauma, custody and visitation, judicial leadership, juvenile justice, sex trafficking of minors, family violence, drug courts, psychotropic medications, children testifying in court, detention alternatives, substance abuse, and the adolescent brain.
Mission: The mission of the Annual Conference is to provide cutting-edge information and tools to juvenile and family courts to support their efforts to improve case processing and outcomes for children, youth, families, victims, and communities with whom they work.
At this time, the NCJFCJ is not accepting session proposals. Please check back in the future for information on upcoming opportunities to submit.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This conference is judicially-focused and open to all those interested in the improvement of juvenile and family justice.
REGISTRATION
Early registration fees, by June 14, 2013
Member – $550 Non-Member – $650
Regular registration fees, after June 14, 2013
Member – $575 Non-Member – $695
Please note: Registration fee includes all educational seminars, Exhibit Show, online training materials, Welcome Reception, one lunch, and all coffee breaks.
Cancellation Policy: The NCJFCJ will not deny admission to any program because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability or religion. The NCJFCJ reserves the right to limit, cancel and/or refund registration on a case-by-case basis should circumstances require. Cancellations for conference registration must be made prior to June 14, 2013 for a full refund. Cancellations received after June 14 and before July 13 will incur a $100 administrative fee. No cancellations for refund will be accepted after the start of the conference.
To register please contact Deena Meadors at admeadors@ncjfcj.org.
Sources: Sponsoring Agency– The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Connecticut Abolishes the Death Penalty
On Wednesday, April 25th, 2012, the state of Connecticut abolished the death penalty. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill into law Wednesday that abolishes the death penalty, making his state the 17th in the nation to abandon capital punishment and the fifth in five years to usher in a repeal. The law is effective immediately, though prospective in nature, meaning that it would not apply to those already sentenced to death. It replaces the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of release as the state’s highest form of punishment.
“Although it is an historic moment — Connecticut joins 16 other states and the rest of the industrialized world by taking this action — it is a moment for sober reflection, not celebration,” Malloy said in a statement. He added that the “unworkability” of Connecticut’s death penalty law was a contributing factor in his decision.
Activists know that human rights victories only come after years of hard work. Yesterday a simple stroke of the Governor Dannel Malloy’s pen sealed the deal to end the death penalty in Connecticut, but that state’s remarkable achievement for human rights was decades in the making. In the last five years, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Illinois have repealed the death penalty. California voters will decide the issue in November. State by state, the battle against capital punishment marches on in the US.
The US criminal justice system is based on guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s the foundation of our justice system, built to serve and protect the wrongly accused. But in the case of Troy Davis and countless others on death row, it’s a principle that was defied, ignored, and trampled on. As Troy Davis wrote in a letter when he was facing execution in 2008 :” … no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe.
With the recent decision to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut, we have moved one step closer to dismantling our unjust criminal justice system city by city, state by state and country by country. Amnesty International and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have been seeking to do just that for decades. Specifically, these organizations have been quite successful in raising awareness about the problems with criminal justice system and the need to end the death penalty. The number of persons supporting their work is growing as demonstrated in the case of Troy Davis. Their petition seeking clemency in the Troy Davis case was signed by almost one million persons. NAACP and Amnesty International have experienced steady progress in this important undertaking to end the death penalty. However, the Troy Davis case reminds us that more work needs to be done to end the death penalty across our nation.
The collective work done on Troy Davis’ case resounded with people all over the world. Next stop for the abolition of the death penalty nationwide is California, a state poised to make history this fall by ending its death penalty through a referendum. The struggle continues. But with each victory, we, as a nation, come closer to a world where human rights are respected, and executions are a thing of the past.
For further information on how you can get involved in efforts to end the penalty nationwide, please visit the websites for Amnesty International and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Equal Justice USA, and the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.
Sources: Amnesty International, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Connecticut State Death Penalty Abolition, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/justice/connecticut-death-penalty-law-repealed/index.html. Equal Justice USA. The Campaign to End the Death Penalty.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
House Republicans Reject Violence Against Women Act
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The House Republicans Reject Violence Against Women Act. In response, this evening, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (DNY) posed the question, “How could anyone oppose the Violence Against Women Act?” This landmark legislation provides support to domestic abuse survivors and gives prosecutors the resources to convict violent abusers — but Republicans refused to renew it on the House floor today. As the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reminds us that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a cost-effective, time-tested, constitutionally sound compendium of laws that guarantees equal protection to all victims seeking help under its auspices. Victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking look to Congress to keep this critical program going. “VAWA, which is up for reauthorization, has changed the way our society views domestic and sexual violence. Once a “private family matter,” domestic violence is now recognized in every state and territory as a crime of violence against an intimate partner. VAWA has also encouraged states to adopt new and more effective strategies to respond to dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Thanks to Congress’ efforts in drafting and passing VAWA, approximately $430 million is distributed to the states, tribes, and territories every year to fund the training and work of courts, prosecutors, police officers, and victim service providers. Each state and territory receives a proportionate share of the formula grant funding, allowing them to develop best practices and resources to address the needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in their jurisdictions.”[i] This legislation has been very instrumental in providing the necessary funding to support efforts to eradicate domestic violence. With that, in the words of Congresswoman Maloney, How could anyone oppose the Violence Against Women Act? Sources: Action Alert Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. NCADV. Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art [i] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)
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Help Keep Communities Safe While Supporting Victims
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women – more than car accidents, muggings, and rape combined. And studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic abuse annually. Everyone has a right to be safe. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) gives law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the resources they need to hold offenders accountable, keeps communities safe while supporting victims, and provides critical funding for prevention and education.
“The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, H.R. 3355, and signed as Pub.L. 103-322 by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. It provided $1.6 billion to enhance investigation and prosecution of violent crimes perpetrated against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted.”
“VAWA was drafted by then U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden‘s office with support from a number of advocacy organizations including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Texas Council on Family Violence, Futures Without Violence, National Coalition Against Sexual Assault, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Legal Momentum and The National Organization for Women, which described the bill as “the greatest breakthrough in civil rights for women in nearly two decades.”[1]”
The New York Times editorial on Friday, February 10, 2012 on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) indicated that the Act is now a political football for Republican Senators who are dragging their feet on its reauthorization.
As indicated in the action alert by Futures Without Violence, it is important to note that the Violence Against Women Act gives law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the resources they need to hold offenders accountable, keeps communities safe while supporting victims, and provides critical funding for prevention and education. It is absolutely essential to the work we do.
You can help hold batters accountable and keep victims of domestic violence. With that said, call the Senators listed below and send the message that VAWA is not a political football. There are several prior sponsors who are not on board yet.
Futures Without Violence prepared a quick and easy way to write to your Senators about S. 1925 (VAWA):http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. And here’s suggested text by Futures Without Violence for your note:
“Dear Senator _____________,
VAWA reauthorization legislation, S. 1925 by Senators Leahy and Crapo, was developed with the input of advocates from around the country and addresses the real and most important needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. It also invests in small prevention programs to stop the lifetime cycle of abuse and engages more stakeholders in the work to prevent and respond to violence. It is responsive, streamlined, and constitutionally and fiscally sound, while providing strong accountability measures and appropriate federal government oversight. This legislation represents our voices—the voices of victims and advocates. I ask you to wholeheartedly support the swift passage of S. 1925.”
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s most recent action alert,
“There are 10 Senators who have been VAWA sponsors in the past. Maybe they just need to be reminded and for sure they need to be persuaded. VAWA programs and services are under-funded and under attack. It’s time to step up for victims of sexual assault and dating, domestic and stalking violence. Please reach out to these Senators and their staff today: Carper, Thomas (D – DE), Cochran, Thad (R – MS), Cornyn, John (R – TX), Grassley, Chuck (R – IA), Hatch, Orrin (R – UT), Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R – TX), Inouye, Daniel (D – HI) , Nelson, Bill (D – FL), Pryor, Mark (D – AR), Snowe, Olympia (R – ME).”
“There are 4 new Senators who OUGHT to be sponsors of VAWA. Talk to them and their staff and tell them about how VAWA has helped promote awareness and support services and needs them to be champions – and sponsors! Please contact them today: Brown, Sherrod (D – OH), Merkley, Jeff (D – OR), Udall, Mark (D – CO), Warner, Mark (D – VA)”
“There are 9 Senators who have expressed interest in VAWA and have been supportive of program funding and services in the past. Ask them to step up to this crisis. Alexander, Lamar (R – TN),Coburn, Tom (R – OK), Enzi, Michael (R – WY), Graham, Lindsey (R – SC), Heller, Dean (R – NV), Kyl, Jon - (R – AZ), Lee, Mike (R – UT), Lugar, Richard (R – IN), Manchin, Joe (D – WV)”
NCADV also reminded us to thank all the Senators who have signed on to support the Reauthorization of VAWA they are as follows: Leahy, Patrick J. (D – VT), Akaka, Daniel K. (D – HI), Baucus, Max (D – MT), Begich, Mark (D – AK), Bennet, Michael F. (D – CO), Bingaman, Jeff (D – NM), Blumenthal, Richard (D – CT), Boxer, Barbara (D – CA), Brown, Scott P. (R – MA), Cantwell, Maria (D – WA), Cardin, Benjamin L. (D – MD), Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D – PA), Collins, Susan M. (R – ME), Conrad, Kent (D – ND), Coons, Christopher A. (D – DE), Crapo, Mike (R – ID),Durbin, Richard J. (D – IL), Feinstein, Dianne (D – CA), Franken, Al (D – MN), Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D – NY), Hagan, Kay R. (D – NC), Harkin, Tom (D – IA), Johnson, Tim (D – SD), Kerry, John F. (D – MA), Kirk, Mark (R – IL), Klobuchar, Amy (D – MN), Kohl, Herb (D – WI), Landrieu, Mary L. (D – LA), Lautenberg, Frank R. (D – NJ), Levin, Carl (D – MI), Lieberman, Joseph I. (ID – CT), Menendez, Robert (D – NJ), Mikulski, Barbara A. (D – MD), Murkowski, Lisa (R – AK), Murray, Patty (D – WA), Reed, Jack (D – RI), Rockefeller, John - (D – WV), Sanders, Bernard (I – VT), Schumer, Charles E. (D – NY), Shaheen, Jeanne (D – NH), Stabenow, Debbie (D – MI), Tester, Jon (D – MT), Whitehouse, Sheldon (D – RI), Wyden, Ron (D – OR)
As the NCADV so aptly stated in its action alert, we can still help even if you don’t live in any of the target states. Share the 4vawa.org site with your friends and family who live in these target states, and ask them to contact their Senators.
Together we can Reauthorize VAWA!
Reference(s):
- “VIOLENCE FORUM: Things to do Now to Stop Violence against Women”. National Council for Research on Women. December 16, 2008. http://www.ncrw.org/public-forum/real-deal-blog/violence-forum-things-do-now-stop-violence-against-women.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment?
Our nation has struggled with the question of the appropriateness of capital punishment as a criminal sanction for decades. According to the Death Penalty Information enter, there are thirty-four (34) states with the death penalty and sixteen (16) without this criminal sanction. Opponents to capital punishment assert that the criminal justice system is riddled with injustice and error under these conditions the death penalty must be halted. Some argue that there is a wealth of evidence that proves the ineffectiveness of the death penalty in achieving its states goals.
According to recent opinion polls[i], the majority of American voters (61%) prefer other criminal sanctions for murder convictions as opposed to the death penalty and some in law enforcement question its effectiveness. A 2009 poll commissioned by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) found police chiefs ranked the death penalty last among the strategies employed to reduce violent crimes[ii] and viewed it as the least efficient use of taxpayers’ money.[iii] Opponents of the death penalty, both in the United States and around the world, assert that not only is it costly, it is also immoral, ineffective, and discriminatory. They assert that the death penalty is often used disproportionately against the poor and people of color. Human beings and systems created by humans are fallible. With that said, the risk of executing innocent persons can never be completely eliminated from the criminal justice system as evidence by the annual number of death row inmate exonerations.
How many death row inmates have been exonerated on average per year? “From 1973-1999, there was an average of 3.1 death row inmate exonerations per year. This has caused many in the legal community to assert that our criminal justice system is riddled with errors.” [iv] Annually, the number of death prisoner exonerations has increased. [v] On average, there has been an average of five (5) exonerations per year from 2000-2007.[vi]
We are reminded about the high costs associated with putting a person on death row by many members of the legal community as well as death row opponents. The costs associated with death penalty cases include but are not limited to: criminal investigation related costs; lengthy trials and appeals; and most importantly, the possible execution of an innocent person. These factors have led many states to reconsider the validity of capital punishment.
In 2009, New Mexico abolished the death penalty.[vii] This year, Illinois’ governor signed a death penalty ban into law in March.[viii] Illinois is the sixteenth state to abolish the death penalty.[ix] In addition to ending capital punishment, Illinois’ governor also commuted the sentences of the fifteen (15) inmates on death row in that state[x].
Instead of death sentences, the inmates will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.[xi] Illinois’ ban on executions will take effect on July 1, 2011.[xii]
According to the Bureau of Prisons, there are fifty-seven (57) people on death role in the federal penal system[xiii]. There are thousands more on death row in state prisons across the country[xiv]. Eighty percent of all executions occur in the southern portion of the United States[xv]. One of the most highly discussed death penalty cases in recent history is that of Troy Anthony Davis[xvi] in Savannah, Georgia. For more than a decade, this capital punishment case has captured the attention of countless people not only in the United States (e.g. President Carter, former Congressman Bob Barr) but also people all around the world (e.g. The Pope and Nobel Prize winner cleric Desmund Tutu).
For persons opposed to capital punishment or those seeking a moratorium, the Davis case undergirds their assertion that wrongful convictions occur and the death penalty must be halted at a minimum until the errors which occur in the criminal justice system have been remedied. Opponents to the death penalty assert that not only do wrongful convictions occur in this country but also innocent people have been sentenced to die[xvii] and some have been executed. With that said, should the death penalty be abolished nationwide?
The number of death row prisoner exonerations which occur on an annual basis as well as high profile death penalty cases such as Troy Davis where there is no physical
evidence linking him to the crime serve to remind us that serious questions still persist about the legitimacy of the death penalty as a criminal sanction. The topic of capital punishment often generates lively discussions about the appropriateness of government sanctioned taking of human lives. It is my hope that this series will generate thoughtful conversations about the death penalty. Toward that goal, I will examine the often controversial topic of the death penalty in the next three (3) blog posts. Specifically, I will examine: (1) a case where the defendant was found guilty of murder and he was not sentenced to death; (2) whether or not capital punishment accomplishes its stated goals; and (3) public opinions on the death penalty.
For further information concerning this pressing topic, an important resource is the Death Penalty Information Center’s website. If you are interested in working to abolish the death penalty, many resources can be found on the Amnesty International website including: petitions, fact sheets, organizing materials, as well as helpful suggestions on how to get involved and take action to end the death penalty.
Sources: The Council of the American Law Institute (ALI); Death Penalty Information Center; Politico (March 9, 2011); Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial, “Juries Know Better”, May 20, 2011; Amnesty International; NAACP; savannahnow.com/…/pope-makes-plea-spare-life-troy-davis; and the Innocence Project. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art.
[i] A 2010 poll by Lake Research Partners and 2009 poll commissioned by DPIC.
[ii] Death Penalty Information Center Website
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] As indicated on the Death Penalty Information Center website, according to the Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Constitutional Rights, printed in October 1993, with updates from DPIC, since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. From 1973-1999, there was an average 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Death Penalty Information Center Website
[viii] Politico, March 9, 2011.
[ix] Ibid.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Ibid.
[xiii] Bureau of Prisons’ website.
[xiv] According to the Death Penalty Information Center, as of January 1, 2010, there were 3,621 persons on death row in the United States.
[xv] Amnesty International
[xvi] Ibid. “Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row — even though the case against him has fallen apart. On March 28, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Troy Davis’ appeals and set the stage for him to possibly face a fourth execution date. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state’s non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.
Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis. One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester “Red” Coles — the principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.”—Amnesty International
[xvii] As indicated on the Death Penalty Information Center website, according to the Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Constitutional Rights, printed in October 1993, with updates from DPIC, since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. From 1973-1999, there was an average 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year.
Capital Punishment
Our nation has struggled with the question of the appropriateness of capital punishment as a criminal sanction for decades. According to the Death Penalty Information
Center, there are thirty-four (34) states with the death penalty and sixteen
(16) without this criminal sanction. Opponents to capital punishment assert that
the criminal justice system is riddled with injustice and error under these
conditions the death penalty must be halted. Some argue that there is a wealth
of evidence that proves the ineffectiveness of the death penalty in achieving
its states goals.
According to recent opinion polls[i], the majority of American voters (61%) prefer other criminal sanctions for murder convictions as opposed to the death penalty and some in law enforcement question its effectiveness. A 2009 poll commissioned by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) found police chiefs ranked the death penalty last among the strategies employed to reduce violent crimes[ii] and viewed it as the least efficient use of taxpayers’ money.[iii] Opponents of the death penalty, both in the United States and around the world, assert that not only is it costly, it is also immoral, ineffective, and discriminatory. They assert that the death penalty is often used disproportionately against the poor and people of color. Human beings and systems created by humans are fallible. With that said, the risk of executing innocent persons can never be completely eliminated from the criminal justice system as evidence by the annual number of death row inmate exonerations.
“From 1973-1999, there was an average of 3.1 death row inmate exonerations per year. Many in the legal community assert that our criminal justice system is riddled with errors.”[iv] Annually, the number of death prisoner exonerations has increased.[v] On average, there has been an average of five (5) exonerations per year from 2000-2007.[vi]
We are reminded about the high costs associated with putting a person on death row by many members of the legal community as well as death row opponents. The costs associated with death penalty cases include but are not limited to: criminal investigation related costs; lengthy trials and appeals; and most importantly, the possible execution of an innocent person. These factors have led many states to reconsider the validity of capital punishment.
In 2009, New Mexico abolished the death penalty.[vii] This year, Illinois’ governor signed a death penalty ban into law in March.[viii] Illinois is the sixteenth state to abolish the death penalty.[ix] In addition to ending capital punishment, Illinois’ governor also commuted the sentences of the fifteen (15) inmates on death row in that state[x].
Instead of death sentences, the inmates will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.[xi] Illinois’ ban on executions will take effect on July 1, 2011.[xii]
According to the Bureau of Prisons, there are fifty-seven (57) people on death role in the
federal penal system[xiii]. There are thousands more on death row in state prisons across the country[xiv]. Eighty percent of all executions occur in the southern portion of the United States[xv]. One of the most highly discussed death penalty cases in recent history is that of Troy Anthony Davis[xvi] in Savannah, Georgia. For more than a decade, this capital punishment case has captured the attention of countless people not only in the United States (e.g. President Carter, former Congressman Bob Barr) but also people all around the world (e.g. The Pope and Nobel Prize winner cleric Desmund Tutu).
For persons opposed to capital punishment or those seeking a moratorium, the Davis case undergirds their assertion that wrongful convictions occur and the death penalty
must be halted at a minimum until the errors which occur in the criminal justice system have been remedied. Opponents to the death penalty assert that not only do wrongful convictions occur in this country but also innocent people have been sentenced to die[xvii] and some have been executed. With that said, should the death penalty be abolished nationwide?
The number of death row prisoner exonerations which occur on an annual basis as well as high profile death penalty cases such as Troy Davis where there is no physical
evidence linking him to the crime serve to remind us that serious questions still persist about the legitimacy of the death penalty as a criminal sanction. The topic of capital punishment often generates lively discussions about the appropriateness of government sanctioned taking of human lives. It is my hope that this series will generate thoughtful conversations about the death penalty. Toward that goal, I will examine the often controversial topic of the death penalty in the next three (3) blog posts. Specifically, I will examine: (1) a case where the defendant was found guilty of murder and he was not sentenced to death; (2) whether or not capital punishment accomplishes its stated goals; and (3) public opinions on the death penalty.
For further information concerning this pressing topic, an important resource is the Death Penalty Information Center’s website. If you are interested in working to abolish the death penalty, many resources can be found on the Amnesty International website including: petitions, fact sheets, organizing materials, as well as helpful suggestions on how to get involved and take action to end the death penalty.
Sources: The Council of the American Law Institute (ALI); Death Penalty Information Center; Politico (March 9, 2011); Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial, “Juries Know Better”, May 20, 2011; Amnesty International; NAACP; savannahnow.com/…/pope-makes-plea-spare-life-troy-davis; and the Innocence Project. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art.
<hr size=”1″>
[i]
A 2010 poll by Lake Research Partners and 2009 poll commissioned by DPIC.
[ii]
Death Penalty Information Center Website
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] As indicated on the Death Penalty Information Center website, according to the Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Constitutional Rights, printed in October 1993, with updates from DPIC, since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. From 1973-1999, there was an average 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Death Penalty Information Center Website
[viii] Politico, March 9, 2011.
[ix] Ibid.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Ibid.
[xiii] Bureau of Prisons’ website.
[xiv] According to the Death Penalty Information Center, as of January 1, 2010, there were 3,621 persons on death row in the United States.
[xv] Amnesty International
[xvi] Ibid. “Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row — even though the case against him has fallen apart. On March 28, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Troy Davis’ appeals and set the stage for him to possibly face a fourth execution date. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state’s non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.
Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavitsthat they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis. One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester “Red” Coles — the
principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.”—Amnesty International
[xvii] As indicated on the Death Penalty Information Center website, according to the Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Constitutional Rights, printed in October 1993, with updates from DPIC, since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. From 1973-1999, there was an average 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year.
Nichelle Mitchem Shares Information on the End Violence Against Women International Conference
The “End Violence Against Women International Conference” will be held next month in Chicago. The conference is scheduled for April 11-13, 2011 at the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare, which is located at 5300 North River Road, in Rosemont, Illinois.
According to the conference’s promotional materials, traditionally, participants at this event include but are not limited to: law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, victim advocates, judges, parole and probation officers, rape crisis workers, medical personnel, faith community members, educators and others.
The conference marketing materials indicate that the event will highlight promising practices and emerging issues in sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. The conference agenda, brochure, registration, and hotel information are available on the agency’s website.
With the goal of changing the community’s response to sexual violence, End Violence Against Women International (EVAW) focuses on connecting professionals and strengthening the community’s response system. EVAW seeks to bring together the diverse set of professionals that respond to victims of violence against women to share lessons learned with goal of strengthening the entire system via a better understanding of each component.
According to EVAW’s website, the agency’s collaborative work is focused on creating: a compassionate response for the victim, a more aggressive prosecution of the perpetrator, and a more secure environment for communities everywhere.
End Violence Against Women International is a private nonprofit that provides expertise, resources, and tools on violence intervention and prevention. The agency also offers opportunities for collaborative learning for professionals who work in the criminal justice response system. This includes but is not limited to the annual conference. According to the agency’s website, the overarching objective of EVAW’s annual international conference is to connect and educate professionals that respond to victims of violence.
For further information regarding this upcoming event, you should visit EVAW’s website at http://www.evawintl.org/conferencedetail.aspx?confid=9. Source:http://www.evawintl.org.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
End Violence Against Women International Conference
The “End Violence Against Women International Conference” will be held next month in Chicago. The conference is scheduled for April 11-13, 2011 at the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare, which is located at 5300 North River Road, in Rosemont, IL 60018.
According to the conference’s promotional materials, traditionally, participants at this event include but are not limited to: law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, victim advocates, judges, parole and probation officers, rape crisis workers, medical personnel, faith community members, educators and others. The conference materials indicate that the event will highlight promising practices and emerging issues in sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. The conference agenda, brochure, registration, and hotel information are available on the agency’s website.
With the goal of changing the community’s response to sexual violence, End Violence Against Women International (EVAW) focuses on connecting professionals and strengthening the community’s response system. EVAW seeks to bring together the diverse set of professionals that respond to victims of violence against women to share lessons learned with goal of strengthening the entire system via a better understanding of each component. According to EVAW’s website, the agency’s collaborative work is focused on creating: a compassionate response for the victim, a more aggressive prosecution of the perpetrator, and a more secure environment for communities everywhere.
End Violence Against Women International is a private nonprofit that provides expertise, resources, and tools on violence intervention and prevention. The agency also offers opportunities for collaborative learning for professionals who work in the criminal justice response system. This includes but is not limited to the annual conference. According to the agency’s website, the overarching objective of EVAW’s annual international conference is to connect and educate professionals that respond to victims of violence. For further information regarding this upcoming event, you should visit EVAW’s website at http://www.evawintl.org/conferencedetail.aspx?confid=9. Source:http://www.evawintl.org.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
