Maryland lawmakers are practically clamoring to show their support for a new bill that would end Maryland’s death penalty. At a press conference yesterday it was unveiled that the bill has received a record number of co-sponsors: 21 Senate co-sponsors (24 are needed for passage) and 61 House co-sponsors (71 are needed for passage). Maryland…
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…
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…
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…
…Provided direct, on-the-ground assistance to groups in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware. …Produced action alerts that were distributed via postcard and email to 8,000 New Jerseyans. …Co-produced New Jersey-ans for a Death Penalty Moratorium (NJDPM) video, “Time-Out: Perspectives on New Jersey’s Death Penalty.” …Co-wrote NJDPM White Paper on NJ’s death penalty for…
The New Jersey legislature is poised to move moratorium legislation to victory early next year. The Equal Justice USA Northeast field office has been working side by side with our state partner, New Jerseyans for a Death Penalty Moratorium (NJDPM), throughout the year to help make the dream a reality. The groups upped the ante…
Plagued with campaign trail questions about the moratorium in Illinois, and the likelihood that the innocent will be executed, Governor George Bush keeps insisting on the guilt of everyone he has executed. No wonder. Already this year, Texas has sent 13 people to its execution chamber, including 62-year old domestic violence victim Bettie Lou Beets….
Governor George Ryan declared an indefinite moratorium on executions in Illinois on January 31. Calling the prospect of executing an innocent person “the ultimate nightmare,” Ryan declared, “Until I can be sure with moral certainty that no innocent man or woman is facing lethal injection, no one will meet that fate.” Illinois has exonerated more…