Jan. 17
USA:
FOR IMMEDIATE release----...@abolition.org
14 Activists Arrested Today at U.S. Supreme Court to Commemorate 35th
Anniversary of First Execution
Participants from Texas, South Carolina, Virginia, New Mexico, DC, Utah,
Vermont, Kansas and New York were there to peacefully and visibly call for an
immediate cessation of all executions in the United States through civil
disobedience and the risk of arrest. The group included several murder victim
family members, family of the incarcerated, and national leaders in the death
penalty abolition movement.
One of the participants who was arrested was Randy Gardner, whose brother, like
Gilmore, was executed in Utah by firing squad. "My Brother Ronnie Lee Gardner
was executed June 18th 2010 by the same state, by the same method as Gilmore. I
believed then, and I still believe now, that the death penalty is morally
wrong. I'm here to help abolish the death penalty by protesting in any shape or
form.” And, using Gilmore’s last words, he says, “Let’s do it."
35 years ago, on January 17, 1977, the State of Utah shot to death Gary
Gilmore, who "volunteered" to be killed in revenge for his murder of Ben
Bushnell and Max Jenson. This state-assisted suicide was the first execution
under the Supreme Court’s upholding of the death penalty in 1976. Since then,
there have been 1277 more executions, with others consecutively scheduled on
January 18, 19 and 20 in Ohio, Kentucky and Delaware, respectively. Texas alone
has 7 executions scheduled this winter.
(source: Abolition Action Committee)
***************************
Supreme Court Protest: 14 People Arrested At Death Penalty Demonstration
14 people have been arrested at the Supreme Court for protesting the resumption
of the use of the death penalty in the United States.
Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg announced the arrests soon after the high court
began hearing oral arguments on Tuesday. Those who were arrested will likely be
charged with illegally demonstrating at the Supreme Court. Such activities are
banned on the court's plaza looking out toward the U.S. Capitol.
The protests are timed to mark the year of the 35th anniversary of the
execution of Gary Gilmore, who protesters said was the first person executed
under the Supreme Court's upholding of the death penalty in 1976.
Protesters say there have been 1,277 more executions since then, with at least
3 more scheduled for this month.
(source: Huffington Post)
GEORGIA----new and impending execution date
State sets execution date for 2001 killings
State officials set Jan. 31 as the execution date for a man convicted of the
2001 killing of a woman and her 3-year-old daughter.
A Paulding County judge had earlier ruled that Nicholas Cody Tate would be put
to death, and state officials on Tuesday scheduled the execution for Jan. 31 at
7 p.m.
Tate's case moved relatively quickly through the death penalty appeals process
because he has yet to challenge his death sentence by filing a habeas appeal.
Tate pleaded guilty in 2005 to murdering 26-year-old Chrissie Williams and her
daughter, Katelyn Williams, 4 years earlier at their Dallas, Ga., home.
Authorities said Williams had been shot in the head and was bound to a bed with
handcuffs. Her daughter was found with her throat slit, authorities said.
(source: Associated Press)
KENTUCKY:
Hairs at center of hearing in death row case
4 hairs will be sent off for DNA testing in a death row murder case.
A judge in McCreary County heard arguments this morning over DNA evidence in a
death row case.
John Garland was sentenced to death after being convicted of the 1997 murders
of three people in McCreary County.
One of the victim's daughters tells 27 NEWSFIRST that investigators found hair
in her dead mother's hands, that didn't appear to be from Garland or her
mother.
Today in court we learned that four hairs will be sent off to a lab for
testing. Once results on who the hair belonged to come back in, court officials
will decide from there on how to proceed with the case against Garland.
Court officials say it could take months to get those test results back.
(source: WKYT News)
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