[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, VA., N.C., FLA., MISS., LA.
May 7 TEXASimpending execution Death Watch: Generations of MadnessCharles death penalty raises question of mental illness Next up on Texas' execution schedule - May 12 - is 32-year-old Derrick Charles. On July 2, 2002, then-19-year-old Charles beat, strangled, sexually assaulted, and eventually killed his 15-year-old girlfriend Myiesha Bennett, her mother Brenda Bennett, and her grandfather Obie Lee Bennett in their Houston home, for reasons Charles never could explain. He pled guilty, and was sentenced to death May 14, 2003. At trial, his attorneys did very little to help Charles save his life. According to petitions for writs of habeas corpus filed at the state and federal levels, his trial attorneys Connie Williams and Sid Crowley called only 4 witnesses, and did no mitigation investigation whatsoever. Crowley in particular did virtually nothing to prepare the punishment phase of Derrick's trial, wrote Randall Sorrels, who represented Charles during a petition for relief in 2009. Crowley reportedly billed only 15 hours on the case: 10 to read the prosecution's file, 5 to prep testimony for 1 witness, and zero for mitigating evidence. Those petitions also pointed to serious hardships Charles faced as a child growing up in Houston. He was born prematurely to an allegedly schizophrenic, unemployable mother and a father who left before he was born. His stepfather was an alcoholic abuser who regularly violently assaulted Charles' mother. Charles grew up in extreme poverty, the petitions reported, and was the product of a multi-generational pattern of severe mental illness. He was intermittently hospitalized (and sent to psychiatric facilities) throughout his childhood, and tested at the second grade level of reading when he was 16. Charles had a petition for rehearing denied in January 2014 and a petition for writ of certiorari denied by the U.S. Supreme Court last October. Still at issue now is his competency and ability to understand his eventual execution. His attorney Paul Mansur told the Chronicle Monday that federal HIPAA laws (relevant to his client's family's medical history) bar him from speaking specifically about recent efforts, but that he had plans to argue Charles' incompetence though certain filings scheduled after this story goes to press. (source: Austin Chronicle) VIRGINIA: Virginia bishops urge Catholics to shift focus of death penalty debate Virginia's bishops called on Catholics in the state's 2 dioceses to step up to change the debate about the use of the death penalty. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond and Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington said it was time to shift the conversation from who should be executed and how to execute people to why the death penalty continues to be applied, especially when other means to protect society without taking a human life exist. Citing the words of Pope Francis in opposing capital punishment, the bishops said in a statement released May 6 that by ending the death penalty in the state, we would take 1 important step ... to abandon the culture of death and embrace the culture of life. They pointed to the tenets of Catholic teaching, which hold that all human life is sacred, fueling the church's drive to advocate for the needs of poor and vulnerable people, the elderly, the unborn and immigrants and refugees. But our faith challenges us to declare sacred even the least lovable among us, those convicted of committing brutal crimes which have brought them the ultimate penalty, the penalty of death, the bishops said. The statement also cited the U.S. bishops' 2005 statement A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death, which summarized church teaching on the death penalty in saying that ???no matter how heinous the crime, if society can protect itself from without ending a human life, it should do so. The Virginia bishops' statement noted that since 1973, 152 death row inmates nationwide, including 1 in Virginia, have been exonerated. We must also be aware of the racial inequity inherent in the system, and that the death penalty has been administered to individuals with severe intellectual disabilities, they wrote. These circumstances further illustrate that, in Virginia and elsewhere, we are having the wrong debate, the 2 bishops said. We should no longer debate which inmates we execute and how we execute them. Instead, we should debate this: If all human lives are sacred and if a civilized society such as ours can seek redress and protect itself by means other than taking a human life, why are we continuing to execute people? (source: Catholic News Service) * Jesse Matthew: Death penalty sought for man charged with Hannah Graham's killing Based on newly discovered forensic evidence in the case against Jesse Matthew Jr., the man formerly charged with the abduction with intent to defile and the 1st-degree murder of
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA
May 7 USA: Tsarnaev: The Cost Of A Death Sentence Versus Life Imprisonment The penalty phase of the trial of the Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is well under way. The jury heard Tsnarnaev's family from Russia give tearful testimony on Monday of how delicate and emotional he was as a child. Apparently, young Tsarnaev cried when Mufasa died in the Lion King. Even Tsarnaev was seen wiping away tears during the testimony. While this type of presentation is meant to pull at the heartstrings of the jurors, to humanize Tsarnaev, perhaps it is backfiring. People seem to be absolutely indignant that Tsarnaev can show emotion for his family or himself, but display no remorse for the victims or their families. This case has sparked heated debates about the death penalty. One justification made by those who are in favor of the death penalty is that it is cheaper just to execute Tsarnaev rather than use our tax dollars to keep him alive. I wondered whether this was true and decided to explore it. To compare the cost of pursuing a conviction of death versus life imprisonment, we have to look at different scenarios, like (1) what would it cost if Tsarnaev is sentenced to life in prison (2) what would it cost if Tsarnaev is sentenced to death and appeals, and (3) what would it have cost if the death penalty was never on the table and he was sentenced to life in prison. The 1st scenario is if the jury sentences Tsarnaev to life in prison without the possibility of parole. To calculate this we have to consider the cost of Tsarnaev's defense, the cost incurred by the government in prosecuting the case and the cost of caring for Tsarnaev for the rest of his natural life. There have been 2 federal death penalty cases in Massachusetts since 1998, not including Tsarnaev's trial. One of those cases was against Kristin Gilbert, a 30 year old nurse indicted in 1998 for murdering 4 of her patients and attempting to murder 3 others by injecting them with the heart stimulant epinephrine. Ultimately, the jury sentenced her to life in prison. The cost of her defense was approximately $1.6 million. The prosecution in that case spent approximately $350,000 on experts and a jury consultant. The salary of the prosecutors and their investigators are not included. Additionally, it cost $80,000 for stenographers and transcripts and $125,000 for the jurors. That's $2,155,000 for the cost of a federal capital murder trial that ended in life imprisonment in Massachusetts in 2001. Let's take that number and assume it is higher now because of inflation and factor in things like the cost of flying Tsarnaev's family in from Russia. For the sake of argument, let's make that number $2.5 million. If Tsarnaev receives life in prison without the possibility of parole, he will likely be housed at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, or ADX, the supermax federal prison in Florence, Colorado. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the average cost to house an inmate for 1 year in a federal prison is $26,309. Tsarnaev is 21 now. If he lives to 71, that means approximately $1,315,450 in government money for his care. That???s just the average. It is probably more expensive to house prisoners at ADX, but let's assume the average cost for the purposes of this exercise. That's a little over $3.3 million for scenario 1. The 2nd scenario is a little trickier because of all the variables. Let's limit the scenario to the cost associated with sentencing Tsarnaev to death, him exhausting all of his appeals and ultimately being put to death. In that scenario, we would take the same $2.5 million figure from the cost of trial above and add the cost of the appeals, the cost to care for him during the appeals and the cost to execute him. There is no data on the cost of appealing a death conviction in Massachusetts, but in 2014, the average cost in Nevada was approximately $140,000. Moreover, the appeals process can take decades. Tsarnaev will have to be housed in a federal prison during that time. Let's say his appeals take 10 years, multiplied by the $26,309 per year to care for him. That totals $263,090. If his appeals fail, he will be executed by lethal injection and the costs associated with that are minimal and do not need to be factored in. Scenario 2 is a little over $2.9 million. So, it appears that those who are in favor of the death penalty are correct that at this stage, it is cheaper to execute Tsarnaev than sentence him to life in prison. However, let's look at the 3rd scenario, where the death penalty was never on the table. The average cost of a federal death penalty trial is 8 times more than a federal murder case. This is because in a federal death penalty case, much more is at stake - someone's life - and no corners are cut. There are usually multiple defense attorney assigned to ensure competent representation, more
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----IND., ILL., NEB., IDHAO, WYO., CALIF., WASH.
May 7 INDIANA: Gary man charged with killing 2 told death penalty possible A judge on Wednesday formally informed a Gary man charged with murder in the deaths of 2 women and suspected of killing 5 others that he could face the death penalty. Darren Vann, 44, told Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Boswell that he understood the cases involving the deaths of Afrikka Hardy and Anith Jones had been joined and that he could be sentenced to die if he's convicted, The Times of Munster reported (http://bit.ly/1FPzZcL ). Police have said that Vann confessed to having killed 7 women whose remains were found over 3 days in October. He has only been charged in the deaths of Hardy and Jones, though. The court last year issued a gag order prohibiting officials from commenting on the case, and Boswell on Wednesday granted the state's request to prevent the coroner's office from releasing the women's autopsy reports. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Jatkiewicz said the motion was in response to Freedom of Information requests for information from the reports. The defense agreed with the state's non-disclosure motion for the autopsy reports. During a previous hearing, Hollandsworth said Vann asked prosecutor Bernard Carter in the letter if the state was going to seek the death penalty against him. On Wednesday, Boswell granted the state's request for a handwriting sample to determine if Vann wrote the letter. Jatkiewicz said the state was seeking the sample as a precaution. Defense attorney Teresa Hollandsworth said Vann didn't deny writing the letter and would file a stipulated agreement stating that. However, she objected to her client having to submit a handwriting sample. Boswell also vacated the June 22 trial date she set earlier because Vann now faces the death penalty. She said she would set a new trial date at a hearing on May 22. (source: Associated Press) * Cannibal killer - who ate girlfriend's brain and heart - says he's 'too handsome' to rape A man accused of killing his girlfriend before eating her organs is furious at being charged with her rape. The 'cannibal killer,' known as Joseph Oberhansley, told the court he was 'too handsome' to be a rapist. However he seemed less bothered by the charges relating to him eating his girlfriend's brain, heart and lung. 34-year-old Oberhansley confessed to the murder of Tammy Jo Blanton, sawing open her head and body so he could gain access to her vital organs. According to court documents, Oberhansley broke into Blanton's home, stabbed her to death with a knife before using an electric jigsaw to open her skull and eat parts of her brain. He then consumed parts of her heart and lung. A worker contracted to clean up the crime scene in Indiana, USA, said he was wiping the bathroom floor when he saw a bloodied jigsaw blade underneath a trash can. Prosecutors only have to prove one of the following - dismemberment, burglary or rape - on top of murder, in order for the man to qualify for the death penalty. 'I've never seen such bulls***' said Oberhansley. 'Excuse my language. They keep falsifying s***.' Police were called to 46-year-old Tammy's home on the day of the incident, and asked Oberhansley to leave. However 7 hours later, when she failed to turn up to work, police were called again and she was discovered dead in her bath tub. 'The front of the victim's skull appeared to have been crushed and brain tissue appeared scattered around the bathtub,' read court documents. The trial continues. (source: closeronline.co.uk) ILLINOIS: Chicago-area firm asks states to return drugs used in lethal injections A Chicago area drugmaker has asked states to return supplies of the company's products that could be used for lethal injection, saying it strongly objects to the drugs being used for capital punishment. Akorn, based in Lake Forest, made the request in a letter sent in March to attorney general's offices in states including Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Oregon and Texas. The March 4 letter refers to midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a painkiller. Akorn contends using the drugs for lethal injection violates federal drug regulations and may also violate federal drug laws. Additionally, such use is contrary to Akorn's commitment to promote the health and wellness of human patients, states the letter from general counsel Joseph Bonaccorsi. Neither the company nor its distributors will sell the drugs directly to prisons and distributors will use their best efforts to keep drugs from getting to prisons in other ways, the letter said. Bonaccorsi did not return messages left by The Associated Press. Several states that confirmed receiving the letter to the AP didn't plan a response to Akorn. Good for Akorn. If states need to carry out executions, then do them in the traditional manner like hanging, firing squad, beheading, etc. Using drugs to
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----GLOBAL, ASIA, PAKIS., SING., MALD., AUST., HONG KONG
May 7 GLOBAL: The execution debate The recent riots and protests in cities as diverse as Baltimore and Ferguson after police killings have highlighted how trigger-happy the police can be. In no instance has a law enforcement officer ended up in death row despite a number of convictions The 1st recorded parliamentary debate on the use of the death penalty was held in 427 BC when Diodotus, arguing that the penalty was not a deterrent, persuaded the Athenian assembly not to execute the Mitylene rebels. The debate goes on in the US in particular, a big time user of the penalty where opinion, belatedly, is turning towards using it more sparingly and, recently, in Australia, when Indonesia decided to go ahead with the execution last week of convicted Australian drug traffickers. This event got major news coverage all over the world. These 2 developments suggest that in many countries there is a new thought going around about the efficacy and morality of capital punishment. The modern abolitionist movement is usually traced back to the Italian, Cesare Beccaria's pioneering work, On Crimes and Punishment, published in 1764. However, it was a US state, Michigan, which in 1846 became the first jurisdiction in the world to abolish permanently the death penalty. In 1863, Venezuela became the first country. Amnesty International recently reported that the number of countries still executing people fell from 41 in 1995 to 22 last year, while the number of states that have abolished the death penalty climbed from 59 to 98. Abolishment-minded governments are often ahead of their own public opinion. Even in Europe, the word's pioneer in abolition, if there has been a particularly gruesome and heinous murder polls often show an upswing in support for its re-introduction. In Hungary last week the prime minister proposed re-instating the death penalty following the stabbing of a young tobacco store clerk. In Asia, a number of countries in recent months have ramped up the giving of death sentences with the aim of cracking down on terrorism and drug trafficking. In December, Pakistan ended a 6-year moratorium on the death penalty after the Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar that left more than 140 people, mainly children, dead. However, moving in the opposite direction are many states in the US. The Boston Marathon Race bomber has just been convicted. Despite the strong emotions aroused by the incident, polls show that most Bostonians do not want to see him executed. Hillary Clinton, now running for president, is today part of a growing movement among politicians in both political parties re-questioning publicly their tough on crime reflex. When her husband was president she backed his draconian agenda on crime, which led to the mass incarceration of young, black, non-violent offenders. The US has now ended up with the largest prison population in the world - over 2 million - on a par with Russia and China. Moreover, it ranks 5th in the number of people it executes, not far behind China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It executes more than North Korea. In the US, evidence of racial bias in capital sentencing is now beyond doubt. It is not just that 1 in 3 of the people executed are black; it is that they tend to be executed for killing whites. Yet the number of whites executed for killing blacks is proportionately a good deal less. US police officers shoot and kill upwards of 400 people a year. A disproportionate number of the victims are black. The recent riots and protests in cities as diverse as Baltimore and Ferguson after police killings have highlighted how trigger-happy the police can be. In no instance has a law enforcement officer ended up in death row despite a number of convictions. Execution is the ultimate, irrevocable punishment. The risk of executing an innocent person can never be eliminated. Since 1973, 150 US prisoners sent to death row have later been exonerated. A good number have been executed despite serious doubts about their guilt. Countries that execute commonly cite the death penalty as a way to deter people from committing crime. This claim has been repeatedly discredited, most recently in a study carried out at Oxford University. There is no evidence that the death penalty is any more effective in reducing crime than imprisonment. In a number of countries the means of capital punishment can be sadistic. In Saudi Arabia, there are beheadings with some of them being public. Even adultery can be a capital crime. In some Muslim countries women can be punished with over 100 lashes for being the victim of a rape. This is perverse. In some countries retribution is regarded as a good enough justification for capital punishment. In Guinea, West Africa, I covered an abortive coup for the New York Times and witnessed a mass execution. But the crowd watched it as a sheer spectacle, not as some religious purifying act
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
May 7 EUROPEAN UNION: Civil liberties MEPs to debate how return to death penalty could hurt EU status The possible effects of an EU member state decision to reintroduce the death penalty, including those on its rights and status as a member state, will be debated in the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday at 16.30. The debate was prompted by the Conference of Presidents' decision of 30 April to ask the Civil Liberties Committee to examine the issue as a matter of urgency. At the meeting President Schulz and political group leaders discussed the recent statement by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban about a possible restoration of the death penalty there. Ms Paraskevi MICHOU, acting Director General of DG Justice, will represent the European Commission in the debate. (source: European Parliament News) SAUDI ARABIAexecution Saudi beheads 79th convict this year Saudi Arabia on Wednesday beheaded one of its nationals convicted of drug trafficking, bringing to 79 the number of executions this year. According to AFP tallies, that figure compares with 87 for all of last year and adds to what Amnesty International has called a macabre spike in the kingdom's executions of locals and foreigners. Authorities carried out the death sentence against Hussein al-Omairi in the northwestern region of Tabuk, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. He was guilty of smuggling amphetamines, it said. Visiting French President Francois Hollande said in Riyadh on Tuesday that his country was campaigning across the world to abolish the death penalty. Drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islamic sharia law. The interior ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the punishment, despite criticism from London-based Amnesty and other watchdogs. (source: Agence France-Presse) * 79 people have been executed so far in 2015 in the desert kingdom Saudi Arabia carried out its 79th execution in 2015 on Wednesday (6 May). The news comes amidst renewed calls from Amnesty International to bring to a halt the macabre spike in Saudi Arabia's executions. In 2014, an estimated 87 executions were carried out by the Kingdom, according to AFP News tallies, which is a stark reminder of the alarming rate with which executions are being carried out in 2015. The latest death sentence was carried out in the Kingdom's northwestern region of Tabuk, reported AFP News. Hussein al-Omairi, a Saudi national, was executed for trafficking amphetamines, according to a statement from the interior ministry. French President calls for death penalty ban French President Fran???ois Hollande called on Tuesday (5 May) for a ban on the death penalty. Hollande was in the Saudi capital Riyadh for the Gulf Co-operation Council summit, where he met several GCC leaders, including Saudi King Salman. France is campaigning across the world to abolish the death penalty. The death penalty should be banned, said Hollande told reporters after meeting GCC leaders including Saudi King Salman. This unprecedented spike in executions constitutes a chilling race to the bottom for a country that is already among the most prolific executioners on the planet - Said Boumedouha of Amnesty International Saudi Arabia executed 5 foreigners on Monday (4 May) over murder and robbery charges. Crimes that can result in the death penalty in the Kingdom, include adultery, armed robbery, blasphemy, drug trafficking, murder and rape to name a few. Said Boumedouha, the deputy director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme, said: This unprecedented spike in executions constitutes a chilling race to the bottom for a country that is already among the most prolific executioners on the planet. If this alarming execution rate continues, Saudi Arabia is well on track to surpass its previous records, putting it out of step with the vast majority of countries around the world that have now rejected the death penalty in law or practice. (source: International Business Times) IRAN: Call for ending executions in Iran According to state-run media, tens of prisoners have been executed, in recent weeks in Iran. Some reports state the number of executions over 2 weeks (13 April till 26 April), reached 115. But the real number of those executed could in fact be much more than this. One report says that a large number of prisoners have been executed secretly in the city of Arak in recent weeks. The Iranian dictatorship surrounded by growing political, social and economic crises are worried about the consequences of the nuclear negotiations and have resorted to executions, torture and killings of the Iranian people more than any other time in order to create an atmosphere of fear and repression. Many of
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news---worldwide
May 7 CHINA: Kiwi's China drug trial to begin A young New Zealander facing drugs charges and a possible death penalty goes on trial today in China. Peter Gardner, 25, has been detained in China accused of trying to smuggle 40kg of methamphetamine out of the country. A trial for Gardner, a dual citizen of New Zealand and Australia, was set to be begin today. It was expected to last no longer than 2 days. Gardner's former boss Michael Kulakovski, earlier told The New Zealand Herald he was surprised to hear of the charges. He's a young kid who's got so much ahead of him, so it's shame if he gets convicted. Gardner was a great guy, he added. The 25-year-old was expected to plead not guilty in a case that 3 judges will hear in a small Guangzhou courtroom, News Corporation reported. If he is convicted he will have 10 days to launch an appeal, Chen Yong, partner of Guangzhou Baijian Law Firm told News Corp Australia. (source: New Zealand Herald) INDONESIA: Indonesian court postpones appeal of Frenchman on death row An Indonesian court Thursday postponed the start of an appeal by a Frenchman on death row to next week, indicating the country's slow-moving justice system could delay his execution for some time yet. Serge Atlaoui, 51, had been due to face the firing squad with 7 other foreign drug convicts last week but was removed from the list after authorities agreed to let an outstanding legal appeal run its course. It was due to start at the Jakarta State Administrative Court on Thursday, however judge Ujang Abdullah adjourned the case to next Wednesday after Atlaoui's lawyer failed to attend as she was ill. In the appeal, Atlaoui, a welder, is challenging President Joko Widodo's decision to reject his request for clemency, claiming the Indonesian leader did not properly consider his case. A plea for presidential clemency is typically a death row convict's final chance to avoid the firing squad. The latest legal bid is widely expected to fail -- an appeal filed in the same court by 2 Australian traffickers was rejected, and the pair were among those put to death last week. However the Australians' appeal took weeks to resolve due to repeated delays. Following Thursday's adjournment, a French diplomatic source told AFP: The Indonesian legal process is following its usual course and that could take some time. France stepped up pressure on Indonesia in recent weeks to abandon plans to put Atlaoui to death, with President Francois Hollande warning of consequences if the execution goes ahead. Atlaoui was arrested in a 2005 raid on a secret drug laboratory outside Jakarta. He has maintained his innocence, claiming that he was installing machinery in what he thought was an acrylics plant. However, police say he was a chemist in the drugs factory. Indonesia's execution last week of 7 foreign drug convicts -- 2 from Australia, 1 from Brazil, and 4 Nigerians -- sparked a firestorm of international anger, with Canberra recalling its ambassador from Jakarta. But Indonesia stayed the execution of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who was supposed to face the firing squad with them, after the woman who allegedly recruited and duped her into carrying a suitcase hiding heroin turned herself in to authorities. British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, 58, is also on death row in Indonesia and said last week she feared her execution could be imminent and had started writing goodbye letters to family. Widodo has insisted he will not change course on the death penalty, as Indonesia faces an emergency due to rising narcotics use. (source: ionteraksyon.com) *** Indonesia says tourism not hit by campaign over death sentences The number of Australian visitors to Indonesia rose in March and the island nation's tourism industry has seen no impact from a Boycott Bali protest over death sentences passed on two Australian drug traffickers, a government official said. Nia Niscaya, director of international tourism promotion at the Minister of Tourism, said however that figures for April, the month when the executions of a total of 8 drug traffickers were actually carried out, were not yet available. Death penalty opponents launched the Boycott Bali protests after the traffickers, arrested in Bali, were condemned. Visitors from Australia, with has deep commercial and political ties with its neighbour, rose 6.6 % to 84,400 in March, according to data from Indonesia's tourism ministry. This increase showed the boycott had had no impact on Indonesia's tourism sector, Niscaya told Reuters. Figures for April were not yet available, she said. Australia is Indonesia's 3rd biggest source market for foreign visitors, behind Singapore and Malaysia. Tourism represents a small, but growing part of Indonesia's economy, generating receipts of about $9.85 billion a year, while total gross domestic product was $868.3 billion in
[Deathpenalty] TEXAS DEATH PENALTY ACTION ITEM
Action Alert Call Texas Senators to vote against SB 1697. The vote was delayed on Tuesday and will come up soon in the Texas Senate. MESSAGE: No matter what you think of the death penalty, you care about open and transparent government and accountability of government to the citizens of the Texas. Legislation does not need to be made in the dark. The death penalty and executions in Texas are public policy. Call and Email: Senator Whitmire 512-463-0115 john.whitm...@senate.state.tx.us Senator Huffman 512-463-0117 joan.huff...@senate.state.tx.us Senator Burton 512-463-0110 konni.bur...@senate.state.tx.us Senator Creighton 512-463-0104 brandon.creigh...@senate.state.tx.us Senator Jose Menendez 512-463-0126 jose.menen...@senate.state.tx.us Senator Perry 512-463-0128 charles.pe...@senate.state.tx.us Senate Bill 1697: 1. Takes information regarding the death penalty from public view and undermines open government. The public has a right to obtain public information. These transactions involve the State paying a private entity for an item or service using taxpayer money to perform executions, yet the Legislature wants to withhold the procedure and substances names from the taxpayer. 2. Transparency is a basic principle of a democracy, yet information regarding the substances and procedures will not be transparent to the public. The bill restricts information. 3. There is an ongoing lawsuit on “credible threats to the supplier,” but several sources and one court have questioned the existence of these threats. 4. If the State of Texas is going to continue to administer the death penalty, it is essential that the public have confidence that we are doing so in an appropriate manner. Cutting the public’s access to information will only inhibit public confidence. Call Texas Senators now! Link to all the Texas Senators is located at: www.capitol.state.tx.us/Members/Members.aspx?Chamber=S SB 1697 (Huffman) This bill relates to the confidentiality of certain information regarding procedures and substances used in the execution of a convict. The bill allows confidentiality of any person who participates in an execution procedure, including a person who uses supplies or administers a substance during the execution and any person or entity that manufactures, compounds, prescribes, dispenses, or provides a substance or supplies used in an execution. ___ DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Search the Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/deathpenalty@lists.washlaw.edu/ ~~~ A free service of WashLaw http://washlaw.edu (785)670.1088 ~~~
