Publications & Testimony

Two Puerto Rican defendants were given life sentences by the same jury that had convicted them of murder in the course of an armored truck robbery that occurred in 2002. Puerto Rico has not used the death penalty for almost 80 years and forbids the practice in its constitution. However, the U.S. federal death penalty applies to the Commonwealth. Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said that the jury acted in accordance with Puerto Rican tradition, which ​“loathes and is against the death penalty.” Federal…

In a dramatic shift from 1999, citizens in New Jersey now favor life without parole over the death penatly for those who commit murder. In a Rutgers University poll released on April 28, 47% of N.J. respondents preferred life without parole rather than the death penalty. In a similar poll six years ago, 44% of respondents chose the death penalty, while 37% supported life without parole. Support for the death penalty declines even further if respondents are given the choice of life without…

Results from DNA testing may soon lead to the exoneration of Larry Peterson in New Jersey. He would become the first person in the state to be cleared of a homicide through DNA evidence. Peterson was convicted of a rape and murder that occurred in 1987. For the past 10 years, Peterson tried to have DNA evidence from his case tested. At his original trial in which he faced the possibility of a death sentence, the prosecution maintained that hairs from the crime scene belonged to Peterson. He was…

A 15-member military jury sentenced Sgt. Hasan Akbar to death for killing 2 U.S. military officers in Kuwait in 2003 during the opening days of the Iraq invasion. At his sentencing, Akbar said, ​“I want to apologize for the attack that occurred. I felt that my life was in jeopardy, and I had no other options. I also want to ask you for forgiveness.” He is the first American since the Vietnam era to be prosecuted for murdering a fellow soldier in wartime. (N.Y. Times, April 29, 2005 (AP)). No…

Oregon v. Guzek — The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will consider whether capital defendants have a constitutional right to present evidence that would cast doubt on their conviction during the penalty phase of their death penalty trials, a question that has divided state and lower federal courts for many years. The defendant, Randy Lee Guzek, sought to introduce alibi evidence after he was convicted during the sentencing phase of his trial. This evidence tended to show that he had…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, April 25, 2005 CONTACT: Brenda Bowser Office: (202) 293‑6970, x215 Cell: (301) 906‑4460 bbowser@​deathpenaltyinfo.​org DEATH SENTENCES CONTINUED TO DECLINE IN 2004 WASHINGTON, DC – In 2004, 125 people were sentenced to death in the United States, the fewest number since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Death sentences have declined by more than 50% since the late 1990’s and the numbers in 2004 represented a drop of 13% compared to 2003. The number of…

A recent Los Angeles Times editorial called on California lawmakers to impose a moratorium on executions until a state commission charged with examining the fairness and accuracy of California’s death penalty laws can finish its work. The paper noted that a similar review led by New York state lawmakers resulted in findings that effectively ended capital punishment in that state for this year. The editorial stated: Many Californians, lawmakers as well as voters, share those concerns (as…

“Scott Sundby’s new book, ​“A Life and Death Decision: A Jury Weighs the Death Penalty” is an impartial look at capital jury deliberations through the examination of data collected by the Capital Jury Project and other studies of group decision-making. Drawing on the Capital Jury Project’s interviews with more than 1,000 jurors from across the country who had taken part in death penalty cases, the book addresses crucial issues such as jury instructions, jury room setup, and voir dire procedures.