Author: Emma Weisfeld-Adams

Murder Victims’ Family Member in Montana Speaks Out

Ziggy Zeigler is a former elected official in Montana, a leader in the Montana Catholic community and a prominent figure in the state’s Republican party. He is also a murder victim’s family member. In this editorial, he shares some of his experiences in the aftermath of his fathers’ murder and what he wants to see… Continue reading Murder Victims’ Family Member in Montana Speaks Out

Fixing the Solution

When a murder goes unsolved, the victim’s family is left with only their imaginations of what might have happened. There are no answers and certainly no justice. That is why New Hampshire state representative Renny Cushing supported a law establishing the state’s first Cold Case Unit dedicated exclusively to investigating unsolved murders. “When they reopen… Continue reading Fixing the Solution

Will PA repeat history?

Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in 2004 for setting the house fire that killed his three daughters, but a spate of forensic fire experts have said (both before and after the execution) there is no credible evidence that it was arson. The Texas Forensic Science Commission, which was charged with examining the forensic practices in… Continue reading Will PA repeat history?

After the death penalty everything is all fixed…or is it?

New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NYADP) could have closed up shop years ago – when New York effectively ended the death penalty. But they are still in business and the recent case involving Frank Sterling is a good reminder why. Frank Sterling had been awake for 36 hours when he confessed to… Continue reading After the death penalty everything is all fixed…or is it?

New Hampshire hears from the executioners

For every execution, there is a team of executioners. They are the ones who watch the inmate in his or her final days, who strap the inmate to the gurney, who insert and reinsert the needles, and who remove the inmate from the gurney following the execution. They are the ones who deal with botched… Continue reading New Hampshire hears from the executioners

An Overwhelming Testimony to Repeal

New Hampshire’s death penalty study commission, which started its investigation in October 2009, just concluded its final hearing. The Commission has heard from over a hundred witnesses on issues such as innocence, fairness, public safety, and alternatives. The review has been a showcase of the death penalty’s litany of problems. Ray Krone and Juan Melendez… Continue reading An Overwhelming Testimony to Repeal

Deterrance Argument Disproved – Again

“There may be other reasons to support the death penalty, but the belief that it deters murder should not be one of them,” said Tomislav Kovandzic a University of Texas (UT) criminologist who testified at the most recent hearing of the New Hampshire Commission to Study the Death Penalty. Kovandzic’s UT study found no support… Continue reading Deterrance Argument Disproved – Again

Our very own ‘product recall’

The American Law Institute (ALI), one of the most respected institutions in American jurisprudence, recently got rid of the capital punishment section from its Model Penal Code. If that sounds dry to you, consider this: the Model Penal Code serves as a blueprint for state laws. Their capital punishment section was the framework on which… Continue reading Our very own ‘product recall’

Secondary trauma: the death penalty creates new victims

For every execution, there is an executioner. Actually there is a whole team of people required to follow the multitude of procedures associated with carrying out a death sentence. These women and men may have had nothing to do with the crime, but they still suffer consequences. Former prison warden, Dr. Allen Ault, recently opened… Continue reading Secondary trauma: the death penalty creates new victims