The Texas Department of Criminal Justice obtains its lethal injection drugs “from a pharmacy that regulators have repeatedly cited for dangerous practices,” according to a
“Until I can be sure that everyone sentenced to death in Illinois is truly guilty, until I can be sure with moral certainty that no
In her article, “This Is What Wrongful Conviction Does to a Family,” in Politico, Lara Bazelon looks at the arrest of two men for the 1982
In Texas, three men were executed in the space of four weeks: 43-year-old Alvin Braziel was executed on Tuesday for the 1993 murder of Douglas
Thanks so much to all of you who have signed our petition to California Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to remove as many people as
Representatives from Catholic and other organizations opposed to the death penalty delivered six thousand signatures to California Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday asking him to commute
There was much to celebrate after this week’s election, especially the strides made in criminal justice reform. In Louisiana, Amendment 2 passed easily, which means
He spent 14 years, 10 of them on death row, and on Monday, Florida prosecutors announced they would not proceed with a retrial for Clemente
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case of 50-year-old Russell Bucklew, a Missouri death row prisoner who came within a few
Last night, members of the Bay Area death penalty community gathered to honor the late Scharlette Holdman, a woman who, as SF attorney Andy Love said, “forever changed not just the way death penalty cases were litigated but for those lucky to work with and be mentored by her, how to confront injustice in all its forms. . . .” The celebration of Scharlette’s extraordinary life and work, sponsored by
Americans’ support for the death penalty is now at 55 percent, the lowest number since 1972, according to a poll released by Gallup today. The number “continues a trend toward diminished death penalty support as many states have issued moratoria on executions or abolished capital punishment,” Gallup says. The poll shows that support among Democrats has been steadily decreasing for the past five years, with just 39 percent favoring it
In August, two of our longest-serving and most dedicated board members left to travel, spend time with family and friends, and simply relax and enjoy their rich and fulfilling lives. We miss their wisdom, insight, and guidance, but are genuinely happy for them and grateful for their long service. Virginia Van Zandt In her 25 years on the Death Penalty Focus Board of Directors, Virginia Van Zandt served as Vice
Death Penalty Focus is partnering with CharityBuzz to bring you two new charity auctions–your chance to meet Mike Farreell and Noah Wyle, all while supporting our work. Lunch with M*A*S*H Star and DPF President Mike Farrell in Los Angeles Mike Farrell is best known from his starring role as Captain BJ Hunnicutt in the hit series M*A*S*H and Jim Hansen in Providence but he has also worked behind the scenes
Death Penalty Focus is partnering with CharityBuzz to bring you two new charity auctions–your chance to meet Mike Farreell and Noah Wyle, all while supporting our work. Lunch with M*A*S*H Star and DPF President Mike Farrell in Los Angeles Mike Farrell is best known from his starring role as Captain BJ Hunnicutt in the hit series M*A*S*H and Jim Hansen in Providence but he has also worked behind the scenes
On September 29, the United States voted against a United Nations resolution that condemns the death penalty as a sentence for those found guilty of engaging in same-sex sexual acts. The US was one of 13 countries that opposed the resolution, titled “The Question of the Death Penalty,” joining such countries as China, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The resolution “urges states that have not yet abolished the death penalty
Duane Buck was sentenced to life in prison last week, 20 years after he was first sentenced to death. In a plea deal, the 54-year-old Buck pleaded guilty to two murders, and to two additional counts of attempted murder, in exchange for the life sentence. Buck was sentenced to death in 1997 for the murder two years earlier of two people, his girlfriend, Debra Gardner, and her friend, Kenneth Butler,
The death penalty “is inextricably linked to poverty. Social and economic inequalities affect access to justice for those who are sentenced to death for several reasons: defendants may lack resources (social and economic, but also political power) to defend themselves and will in some cases be discriminated against because of their social status.” That’s according to the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which observes its 15th World Day Against
“This is a horrible collection of half-truths, and misleading information. It is shameful.” The “horrible collection of half-truths” that Dale Recinella, a Catholic chaplain on Florida’s death row, is referring to is a recently-published book, By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment, written by Edward Feser and Joseph M. Bessette. The authors’ support for capital punishment is based on arguments that were debunked long