How old is too old, how sick is too sick to be executed?
April 13, 2018
Just how old, how sick, or how mentally ill does a death row prisoner have to be for the government to opt not to execute
Just how old, how sick, or how mentally ill does a death row prisoner have to be for the government to opt not to execute
Stating that there’s “a major gap in resources for lawyers who defend capital cases,” the American Bar Association is launching The Capital Clemency Resource Initiative,
A new poll conducted by Quinnipiac University finds that American voters choose life without parole over the death penalty 51-37 percent, the first time a
In Georgia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit declined to hear an appeal by Keith Tharpe that he was sentenced to death
A collection of the writings of the late Rabbi Leonard Beerman, edited by David N.. Myers, can be found in The Eternal Dissident: Rabbi Leonard
One year ago, we wrote about the case of Walter Ogrod, a man whom many believe was wrongfully convicted of killing four-year-old Barbara Jean Horn
On Thursday, February 22, three executions in three different states were scheduled, with three very different outcomes. Eric Branch was executed in Florida, dying with
The U.S. Supreme Court late last month stayed the execution of Vernon Madison, less than an hour before it was to take place on January
Kevin Cooper has been on San Quentin’s death row for 33 years for a quadruple murder he didn’t commit. As we reported in the January
President Joseph Biden is the first occupant of the Oval Office in American history to openly and publicly oppose the death penalty and advocate its abolition. What will he do to translate his policy into action. Read Here
A House bill seeking abolish the death penalty in Virginia was introduced by lawmakers in the General Assembly. Backed by Governor Northam, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary five days ago. Today, Martin Luther King Day, the committee passed Senate Bill 1165 bill by a margin of 10-4. Read Here
Justice Sotomayor offered a fierce dissent before the Trump Administration carried out its 13th Federal Execution since July. Read Here
Early Saturday the Trump administration executed Dusting Higgs. Mr. Higgs was convicted and condemned for killing three women in 1996. With a sworn affidavit by the actual shooter, Mr. Higgs had a strong case as to why he should be spared. The actual shooter was sentenced to life in prison. Mr. Higgs case was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Once again, SCOTUS did not dig in to the facts.
“We need to do everything in our power to root out white supremacy in all its forms, and that includes ending the death penalty for good. President Biden can do this with the stroke of a pen.” – Representative Cori Bush Watch Now
This week, Donald Trump sanctioned the execution of the only woman on federal death row: Lisa Montgomery. She was the 11th prisoner to be killed since the president restarted federal executions in July 2020. Listen to a report by Ed Pilkington, Chief Reporter for the Guardian. Read Here
Trump’s increase in federal executions exposes the racism, classism, inability to deter crime, and high cost of capital punishment. Read Here
Lisa Montgomery’s first experiences of sexual abuse occurred indirectly when she was three years old. She would lie in bed at night beside her beloved half-sister Diane, close enough to touch, while Diane, then eight, was being raped by their male babysitter. Read Here
“The idea of execution promises catharsis. The reality of it delivers the opposite, a nauseating sense of shame.” Read Elizabeth Bruenig’s Op-ed in the New York Times about witnessing the execution of Alfred Bourgeois. The Man I Saw Them Kill. Read Here