Continuing its look at death penalty, the Supreme Court will hear argument on Tuesday in Hurst v. Florida[efn_note]No. 14-7505.[/efn_note] to decide whether Florida’s practices in capital trials are constitutional. At issue in Hurst is whether a judge properly imposed a death sentence without the necessary fact-finding by a jury. Florida is one of the few… Continue reading Supreme Court’s next death penalty case looks at roles of judge, jury
Tag: Fairness
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It was the most profound thing I will ever do
By Maryland State Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, with Tom Waldron Repealing the death penalty in Maryland was an arduous task that took many years – with many ups and downs. It culminated in 2013, when the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 276, Death Penalty Repeal – Substitution of Life Without the Possibility of Parole, with the crucial… Continue reading It was the most profound thing I will ever do
Connections, connections, connections
The NAACP has been an essential partner in our most recent campaigns to end the death penalty. This year marked their 105th National Convention, and EJUSA National Organizer Cherrell Brown traveled to Las Vegas to participate. In addition to catching up with some of our strongest allies in the organization, Cherrell made new connections with… Continue reading Connections, connections, connections
What you did in 2013
There are only a few days left in 2013, but I’m already feeling nostalgic – and grateful. You helped us accomplish so much this year. Because of your support: Maryland became the sixth state in six years to end the death penalty this May. And when a small group of repeal opponents tried to “repeal… Continue reading What you did in 2013
More Than Just A Good Read
Almost two years ago, Troy Davis was executed in Georgia despite significant doubt about his guilt. Nearly a million people across the globe spoke out about his case. His name became synonymous with the broken death penalty system. EJUSA is excited to announce a new book, I Am Troy Davis, co-authored by Jen Marlowe and… Continue reading More Than Just A Good Read
Texas carries out 500th execution amid questions of fairness
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
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
The Wrong Carlos: More Evidence That Texas Executed an Innocent Man
In 2006, the Chicago Tribune published a three-part investigative report that revealed the execution of Carlos DeLuna in Texas in 1989 may have been a case of mistaken identity. Today The Columbia Human Rights Law Review published The Wrong Carlos – a book-length study of the case that chronicles in shocking detail the massive series… Continue reading The Wrong Carlos: More Evidence That Texas Executed an Innocent Man
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