Publications & Testimony

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned a Texas defendant’s conviction and death sentence because of racial bias by the prosecution in jury selection. Jonathan Reed, the defendant, had been convicted in 1979 of murder during a trial at which all five of the eligible African-American potential jurors were removed by the prosecution. The Fifth Circuit, which has upheld many death sentences from the state with the most executions in the country, based its ruling on the U.S.

The News & Record of North Carolina recently featured an editorial encouraging the state’s legislature and governor to abolish the death penalty. The editorial noted the controversies that have surrounded the use of capital punishment in the state, including disagreement about lethal injections and the inconsistent way the penalty has been applied. The declining number of death sentences and the extensive time needed before an execution can take place led the paper to conclude the state “should…

Oregon Supreme Court Justice Martha Walters recently suggested that it is time to review the constitutionality of the death penalty. Concurring in Oregon v. Michael Davis, Justice Walters wrote, “When presented with the opportunity to do so, I urge this court to consider our state’s experience in imposing the death penalty and to examine its constitutionality anew.“ Justice Walters acknowledged that the death penalty has been upheld in the past, but noted that the times had changed and that…

A recent editorial in the Washington Post cited trends and statistics from DPIC’s 2008 Year End Report in calling for an end to the death penalty in Maryland. The paper urged Maryland lawmakers to “heed the march of history” and noted that use of the death penalty is declining around the country: “According to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit organization that studies capital punishment, executions nationwide reached a 14-year low in 2008, with only 37 executions carried out…

“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley” is a new play by John Fleming that explores the true story of a 17-year-old African-American defendant who was sentenced to death for a carjacking and murder in Texas. The victim was the father of a federal judge. Using a variety of factual resources, including court transcripts and media accounts, the play examines race and the criminal justice system before the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the death penalty for juveniles violates the…

The number of police officers killed by gunfire in 2008 dropped by 40% from 2007, down to its lowest level in more than 50 years, according to a report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The report attributed the decline to a new emphasis on officer safety training and equipment. In addition to increased training, more officers are wearing body armor and using stun guns to protect themselves. The overall number of officers killed in the line of duty also declined in 2008.

The Death Penalty Information Center’s Year End Report for 2008 recorded 37 executions for the year that ends today. That is a 12% drop from the 42 executions in 2007. However, based on executions already scheduled for 2009, the coming year may see an increase. There are 23 executions scheduled for the first five months of 2009, and more dates are likely to be added. As was true in 2008, almost all the executions scheduled are in the south and about half (12 of 23) are in Texas. Although the…