Making a Difference: Death Penalty

When we are faced with tragedy such as the state-sponsored execution of a human being whose guilt was in doubt (or the state-sponsored execution of ANY human being for that matter), we wonder, "I'm only one person. What can I do?"

Here are some organizations that are trying to make a difference with the death penalty in the U.S.:

The Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty – CMN proclaims the Church's unconditional pro-life teaching and its application to capital punishment and restorative justice. CMN works in close collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to prepare Catholics for informed involvement in campaigns to repeal state death penalty laws and expand or inaugurate restorative justice programs.

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty - PFADP educates and mobilizes faith communities to act to abolish the death penalty in the United States. They are headquartered in North Carolina.

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty - NCADP is the nation's oldest organization dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty. They are comprised of an extensive network representing more than 100 state and national affiliate organizations and thousands of advocates and volunteers. Their members include families of murder victims, persons from all points on the political and religious spectrums, past and present law enforcement officials and prominent civil and racial justice organizations working to end the death penalty forever.

News from Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

A bill to abolish the death penalty in Pennyslvania has been introduced. Pennsylvanians, go to the website for Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty to urge your legislators to vote Yes on SB 423, which would repeal Pennsylvania's death penalty. On that site, you can also urge your legislators to vote NO on HB 317, which would expand Pennsylvania's death penalty.

Death Penalty Opponent and Mother of Victim to Speak in Williamsport

From northcentralpa.com:

A moratorium on the death penalty program, presented by Vicki Schieber, is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m. at Lycoming College, Honors Hall / Performance Hall (southeast corner of E 4th and Basin Streets) in Williamsport. The event is free.

Vicki’s daughter, Shannon, was raped and murdered on May 7, 1998 while finishing her first year of graduate school on a full scholarship at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Since this tragic incident, Vicki and her husband, Sylvester, have dedicated their career and lives to a moratorium on the death penalty.

In addition to teaching many high schools and university classes on abolition, Vicki runs workshops for state conferences, is a published author, and served on the 2008 Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment. She is the recipient of the Fannie Mae Foundation Good Neighbor Award, the Courage in Community Award of the McAuley Institute Board of Trustees and the Exceptional Community Spirit Award from Rebuilding Together of Washington, D.C.

Despite her tragic loss she continues to be an advocate for the abolishment of the death penalty. The public is invited to hear her compelling story of reconciliation and forgiveness. For more information about the program, or if you would like a flyer emailed to you, contact Jim Foran at margyjimforan601@cs.com.

Interesting Article on the Death Penalty

It seems that the group that attempted to give the most legal prominence to the death penalty has given up its efforts. Click here to read the NY Times article about the American Law Institute's abandonment of its project, "Group Gives Up Death Penalty Work in Frustration."

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Regarding Troy Davis

Today the United States Supreme Court announced that it would not hear the matter of Troy Davis, paving the way for the State of Georgia to proceed in its intent to to request a death warrant to execute Troy Anthony Davis despite significant new evidence that Davis may, in fact, be innocent.

As summarized at AlterNet.org, “ Davis was convicted in 1991 of killing Savannah police officer Mark Allen MacPhail. Authorities failed to produce a murder weapon or any physical evidence tying Davis to the crime. In addition, seven of the nine original state witnesses have since recanted or changed their initial testimonies in sworn affidavits. One of the remaining witnesses is alleged to be the actual perpetrator.”

AlterNet reporter Liliana Segura reports that, “The Supreme Court's decision this morning -- in which the judges refused to consider whether executing a potentially innocent person violates the 8th Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment -- could mean that Davis will be executed as soon as two weeks from now. He is out of legal avenues, and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied clemency. There is no execution date scheduled yet; the Georgia DA must seek a new death warrant first.”

Additional information on this case including information on how to take part in communication efforts to get the State of Georgia to drop its petition for a death warrant in this case is available here and here .