On June 26th, Kimberly McCarthy became the 500th person to be executed in Texas since the state resumed the death penalty in 1982. McCarthy’s execution proceeded despite claims that racial bias played a role in the conviction and death sentence. McCarthy, an African American convicted of killing her neighbor Dorothy Booth, faced a nearly all… Continue reading Texas carries out 500th execution amid questions of fairness
Author: Jill Francke
A Broken Promise in Texas: Race, the Death Penalty and the Duane Buck Case
The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. released a new video highlighting the racial discrimination in the Texas death penalty system and the shocking case of death-sentenced prisoner, Duane Buck. < Mr. Buck was sentenced to death in Harris County (Houston), Texas, after his trial prosecutor elicited testimony from a psychologist indicating that Mr.… Continue reading A Broken Promise in Texas: Race, the Death Penalty and the Duane Buck Case
Repeal of Death Penalty Signed Into Law In Maryland
Maryland’s Governor, Martin O’Malley, today signed the legislation to repeal Maryland’s death penalty. The new law makes Maryland the sixth state in six years to end the death penalty. Maryland represents the first time a Governor put the full weight of his office behind a campaign to end the death penalty. Governor O’Malley sponsored the… Continue reading Repeal of Death Penalty Signed Into Law In Maryland
Illinois’ Death Penalty Abolition Fund to help provide support to family members of homicide victims
Illinois is using the savings from repealing the death penalty to improve support for families of homicide victims. Funds for this initiative came from the Death Penalty Abolition Fund, which was established as a result of Illinois’ repeal of the death penalty in 2011. The goal was to make sure that repeal was more than… Continue reading Illinois’ Death Penalty Abolition Fund to help provide support to family members of homicide victims
Join EJUSA in Philadelphia in May!
EJUSA is pleased to support Mothers in Charge in hosting a national conference on violence prevention! The Cost of Violence: National Conference on Violence Prevention and Behavioral Health May 6-7, 2013 Philadelphia, PA Register EJUSA is a proud sponsor of two conference sessions – a panel about the death penalty and a leadership training for… Continue reading Join EJUSA in Philadelphia in May!
Conservatives Call for Repeal in Montana
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty renewed their call for repeal of the Montana’s death penalty following a recent ruling declaring the state’s execution method unconstitutional. “Conservatives dislike waste and inefficiency. That is why we should cast a critical eye when the State is involved with the business of executing people,” said Roy Brown, former… Continue reading Conservatives Call for Repeal in Montana
Judge finds evidence of racial bias in North Carolina death sentence
In the first case heard under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act (RJA), a judge found that racial bias played a significant role in the death sentence given to Marcus Reymond Robinson 18 years ago. Robinson’s sentence was changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The RJA, passed in 2009, allows death row… Continue reading Judge finds evidence of racial bias in North Carolina death sentence
25th Anniversary of McCleskey v. Kemp
April 22nd marks the 25th anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s decision in McCleskey v. Kemp. In this controversial decision the court ruled that it was “inevitable” that minorities would be treated worse by the criminal justice system and that the Constitution is only violated where it is proven that a specific person in a… Continue reading 25th Anniversary of McCleskey v. Kemp
Victims’ Family Members Call for Repeal in Connecticut
Last week, two dozen family members who lost loved ones to murder gathered at the Connecticut state capitol to highlight the death penalty’s harmful impact on victims’ families. “The death penalty is not given out equally,” said Khalilah Brown-Dean, whose cousin was murdered. “It’s about saying certain cases are more important than others, certain crimes… Continue reading Victims’ Family Members Call for Repeal in Connecticut
When fail-safes become failures
Just hours before Texas inmate Duane Edward Buck was to be taken to the death chamber the US Supreme Court halted his execution to investigate charges that his sentence was tainted by race issues . Buck, an African-American, was convicted of a double-murder in 1995. At trial Dr. Walter Quijano, a psychologist, testified that simply… Continue reading When fail-safes become failures