May 20
NEW HAPSHIRE:
It’s time to be done with the death penalty
Before my tenure in the New Hampshire legislature I taught statistics to
college students. In the House and Senate I worked to keep data at the center
of my decision-making, including through years of debate about the death
penalty. I’ve seen the compelling data about the penalty’s lack of deterrent
value and the lack of fairness with which it is applied. I know about the high
cost of death penalty cases--and how the money might instead be spent on
victims’ services. Statistical reports have reassured me that the State’s
responsibility for public safety is met by the sentence of life in prison
without parole.
All that said, I know that in matters of core social policy, there are also
often unquantifiable factors that cannot be dismissed. I oppose the death
penalty not only because it doesn’t make sense, but because I believe it is the
most pessimistic and hypocritical of policies. It says that we are willing to
let the State make a life-ending decision that denies all opportunity for
personal redemption or social amends, by carrying out an act for which we, as
individuals, would be punished severely--and through a judicial process that so
often only prolongs the suffering of victims’ families.
I believe it is time to be done with the death penalty in New Hampshire. And I
am heartened that the overwhelming number of our legislators agree. They said
so with their vote for repeal earlier this year and they will soon have the
opportunity to confirm that belief by overriding the Governor’s veto of HB 455.
Amanda Merrill,P> Durham
(source: Letter to the Editor, seacoastonline.com)
WYOMING:
State to seek death penalty in Lovell murder case
The Big Horn County Attorney’s Office will be pursuing the death penalty in a
homicide case involving a man from Lovell.
In a recent filing with the court, County Attorney Marcia Bean conveyed to the
court that her office would pursue the death penalty in the case involving
Donald Joe Crouse. Crouse is charged with the first-degree murder of Carol Jean
Barnes on Jan. 4, 2018.
The last execution carried out in Wyoming was Mark Hopkinson in 1992. Wyoming’s
last death row inmate, Dale Eaton, had his sentence overturned by a federal
judge in 2014.
There is a current motion from Crouse’s current attorney, Timothy Blatt, to
reschedule the trial set for June 3. His reasons include that Crouse is seeking
another mental examination and the need for another public defender that has
experience with death penalty cases. Crouse waived his right to a speedy trial.
(source: Casper Star-Tribune)
CALIFORNIA:
Judge sets trial on BART stabbing suspect's competency
A judge on Monday scheduled a trial to begin July 29 on the mental competency
of a transient who's charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old
Nia Wilson at the MacArthur BART station in Oakland last July.
At a brief hearing, Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer also
turned over some of John Lee Cowell's psychiatric records to the prosecution.
The prosecution wants its expert, Dr. Jason Roof, to be able to review the
records before he examines John Lee Cowell, 28, for 3 to 4 hours on May 30 at
the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where Cowell is being held without bail for the
stabbing at the MacArthur station at about 9:36 p.m. on July 22.
At Cowell's previous hearing on April 24 Cramer ordered Cowell to cooperate
with the examination by Ruth, who is an associate professor of clinical
psychiatry at the University of California Davis Medical Center and has been
qualified as an expert witness and testified about mental disorders, sanity and
competence to stand trial.
Cramer suspended the criminal proceedings against Cowell on Dec. 27, saying
there is "substantial evidence" that he's mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Cramer appointed two psychiatrists to examine Cowell and submit reports to the
court on their findings about his mental competence but their conclusions
differed.
One expert said he believes Cowell is incompetent to stand trial but the other
expert said he was unable to arrive at a conclusion about Cowell's competency.
Although Cramer is allowing Ruth to examine Cowell and review his psychiatric
records, he said anything that Cowell says to the psychiatrist can only be used
at his competency trial and can't be used at a potential criminal trial if he
ultimately is found to be competent.
Cowell is charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly stabbing
Wilson and her sister, 26-year-old Letifah Wilson, as well as a special
circumstance allegation that he killed Wilson while lying in wait, an
allegation that could result in the death penalty or life in prison without
parole if he's convicted.
Cowell is scheduled to return to court on Friday for a hearing on a motion by
his lawyers to bar Roof from conducting one of the tests he wants to perform on
Cowell.
(source: KTVU news)
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