Late last month, after serving several years on Delaware’s death row, Isaiah McCoy was released and acquitted of the murder for which he was originally convicted. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, and the testimonies that were used against him were inconsistent. Despite this, McCoy was sentenced to die, but after receiving a new trial, he was acquitted of murder. Upon hearing the news, McCoy wept and said that he plans on spending the coming days with his daughters. McCoy is the 157th person to be released from death row due to a wrongful conviction.
The inherent risk to innocent lives is one of the primary factors driving conservatives’ opposition to the death penalty, and this was on display in Montana earlier this month. Conservative State Representative Adam Hertz sponsored a bill to repeal capital punishment, and a host of conservatives assembled at the capitol to participate in a press conference to urge the legislature to end the state’s death penalty. Many others also testified in support of repeal during the bill’s hearing. While the measure ended up being one vote shy of passing, this is additional proof that the conservative movement to repeal the death penalty is not only being sustained but it is growing.
Conservatives Concerned in the media
There were plenty of stories covering recent CCATDP press conferences in Montana and Georgia as well as our other activities:
- The Associated Press reported on the developments in Montana, and more than a dozen other outlets syndicated the story. The Missoulian also covered the events, and the article was reprinted elsewhere too.
- The Georgia press conference is still generating significant interest as well. The Blaze, Insider Advantage Georgia, Better Georgia, and NPR recently reported on it.
- Our past Charles Koch Institute Communications Intern, Katherine Dwyer, authored an article describing why it’s unjust to execute the mentally ill.
- I presented the conservative case against the death penalty when I was a guest on the Wake Up Call and Thinking It Through podcasts.
- I penned two op-eds during the past month too. One explained why Georgia’s death penalty is dying, while the other highlighted how conservatives are key to the death penalty’s demise.
- I was also quoted in an article in which the author explained why conservatism and the death penalty are inconsistent with each other.
Upcoming
For the 5th year in a row, CCATDP will be returning to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and conservatives from Georgia, South Carolina, Michigan, Utah, and Missouri will join CCATDP at the conference. It will be in National Harbor, Maryland, from February 22-25. If you plan on attending, then make sure to drop by our booth!
Next month, I will travel to Virginia where I will be speaking at the College of William and Mary about how the death penalty is nothing more than a failed government program. The event will occur on March 22. I hope to see you there!
Share your concerns
The fact that at least 157 individuals have been wrongly convicted and sentenced to die is a terrifying reality. What’s even worse is that others have been executed even though their convictions were in doubt. Let your friends and family members know that the death penalty is dangerously error-prone by sharing the article about Isaiah McCoy on Facebook by clicking here!
