Publications & Testimony
Items: 5131 — 5140
Jun 23, 2006
Doctors Say There Are Alternatives to Current Lethal Injection Procedures
In the wake of numerous lawsuits challenging current lethal injection procedures and a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that makes it easier for those on death row to file such claims, medical experts have identified alternative protocols that would be less risky to the prisoner but more difficult for witnesses to observe.“There’s an innumerably long list of medications that can be given to cause someone to die,” said Dr. Mark Dershwitz, a professor of…
Read MoreJun 23, 2006
New York Times Article: Alternatives to Lethal Injection
The…
Read MoreJun 22, 2006
South Retains the Highest Murder Rate in 2005
According to the FBI’s Preliminary Uniform Crime Report for 2005, all regions of the country experienced a rise in murder rates in 2005. The Midwest had the largest increase (5.8%) and the West had the smallest increase (3.2%). Based on the increases reported by the FBI and the previous year’s murder rates, the South again had the highest murder rate in the country– 6.9 murders per 100,000 people – followed by the West (5.9), Midwest (5.0) and the Northeast (4.4). The…
Read MoreJun 20, 2006
New Voices: League of Women Voters Supports Abolition of the Death Penalty
The League of Women Voters of the United States has adopted an official national policy calling for abolition of the death penalty. During the organization’s 47th biennial national convention in Minneapolis, delegates adopted policy language stating,“The League of Women Voters of the United States supports the abolition of the death penalty.” The League of Women Voters has more than 130,000 members and supporters. It is a non-partisan political…
Read MoreJun 15, 2006
NEW RESOURCE: DPIC Resources Available as 30th Anniversary of Gregg v. Georgia Approaches
July 2, 2006 will mark the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Gregg v. Georgia, an historic ruling that upheld newly crafted death penalty statutes and signaled the beginning of the modern era of capital punishment. This milestone presents the public with an opportunity to examine the application of the death penalty over the past three decades and to test whether the Court’s expectation of a fairer and less arbitrary system of capital…
Read MoreJun 12, 2006
Supreme Court Grants Tennessee Death Row Inmate New Hearing Based on DNA Evidence
The U.S. Supreme has expanded the ability of death row inmates to challenge their convictions in federal court based on DNA evidence produced long after their trials. The ruling marks the first time that the Justices have considered the new evidentiary technology of DNA evidence when re-examining a death sentence. In its 5 – 3 decision, the Court held that new evidence, including DNA test results, raised sufficient doubt to merit a new hearing in federal court…
Read MoreJun 12, 2006
Editorials Praise Virginia Governor’s Decision to Delay Walton Execution
Recent editorials in The Washington Post and Roanoke Times praised Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s decision to delay the execution of Percy Walton in order to ensure that he is sane enough to execute. The papers noted that Kaine’s decision, which drew criticism from some death penalty advocates, demonstrated“competence in lawfully applying the death penalty” and was…
Read MoreJun 12, 2006
U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Rules that Death Row Inmates Can Raise Lethal Injection Challenges
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that death row inmates seeking to challenge lethal injection as a method of execution after they have exhausted their regular appeals may pursue the issue as a civil rights claim. Though the decision in Hill v. McDonough did not answer the broader question regarding whether the chemicals used in lethal injections around the nation are unconstitutional because they may cause excruciating pain, it does permit inmates to…
Read MoreJun 12, 2006
For survivors’ sake, abolish the death penalty
Monday, June 12, 2006BY RICHARD…
Read MoreJun 09, 2006
ABA Assessment Report in Alabama Calls for Death Penalty Moratorium
A new report issued by the American Bar Association’s Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project found that Alabama’s death penalty fails to meet fundamental ABA standards of fairness and accuracy. An eight-member assessment team assembled in Alabama by the ABA was so troubled by its findings that it called for a moratorium on executions in the state. The team urged lawmakers to take action to ensure effective representation at every stage of the capital…
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