Op-eds

As a decades long advocate for the rights of crime survivors, Kathy Garcia shares her perspectives on why the death penalty should be ended.

John Connor insists that the death penalty is not a deterrent, even for prisoners serving life without parole. He served as the special prosecutor in the Montana Attorney General's office, assisting on all death penalty cases for over 20 years.

Former State Representative Case Taylor wishes he could take back his vote reinstating the death penalty in 1978. And now he hopes Maryland will finally abolish capital punishment.

Jim Oppedahl, a former state court administrator, discusses the resource-drained court system and the huge drain of the expensive death penalty, especially during this economic crisis.

Former Bexar County (TX) prosecutor congratulates the Maryland Death Penalty Study Commission on recommending repeal of the death penalty. He shares his experience of questioning whether one man he helped put to death was actually innocent.

A former Baltimore City police officer and military police officer talks about why he used to be in favor of the death penalty but now wants to see it repealed.

Police Chief James Abbot shares why he voted to repeal the death penalty in New Jersey even though he supports the death penalty in principle.

Jim O'Brien shares his view of how the death penalty doesn't meet the needs of victims. He tells a first-hand account of the years of trials he endured after his daughter, Deidre, was murdered.

Ed Helfrick was a Republican Senator in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. As the American Bar Association puts out a report again scrutinizing the state's death penalty, Helfrick is calling for the General Assembly to take a step back and really examine capital punishment's flaws.