[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Sept. 13 INDONESIA: Drug dealer sentenced to death in Medan The Medan District Court has declared Irwantoni, 38, guilty and sentenced him to death for his involvement in the delivery of 270 kilograms of sabu-sabu (crystal methamphetamine) from China. The sentence was in accordance with what prosecutors sought. In the verdict hearing held on Wednesday, presiding judge Saryana said Irwantoni was proven to have sent the drugs from China to Dumai, Riau and Medan, North Sumatra, violating the 2009 Narcotics Law. "We sentenced the defendant with the death penalty," Saryana said. Besides Irwantoni, 4 defendants - Daud aka Athiam, 47, Ayau, 40, Lukmansyah Bin Nasrul, 36, and Jimmi Syahputra Bin Rusli, 27 - were handed the death penalty in previous hearings in the case for their involvement in the delivery of the drugs. The delivery of the crystal meth was thwarted by personnel of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) on Oct. 17, 2015. Meanwhile, personnel of the BNN's North Sumatra branch shot dead an alleged drug dealer on Jl. Medan-Binjai KM 16, Sunggal, in Deli Serdang regency on Tuesday evening. The alleged dealer was believed to be part of the Medan-Binjai-Palembang drug network. "We shot dead 1 person and arrested 4 others. We seized 12 kilograms of sabu-sabu from the network," BNN North Sumatra head Brig. Gen. Andi Loedianto said on Wednesday. (source: The Jakarta Post) ___ A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----OHIO
Sept. 13 OHIOexecution Ohio Executes Double Murderer Gary Otte An Ohio man convicted of back-to-back murders 25 years ago was executed Wednesday morning after the courts rejected his arguments that the lethal injection the state uses could expose him to serious pain. Gary Otte was the 2nd inmate put to death since Ohio ended a 3-year execution hiatus prompted by a lethal injection that raised questions about the drugs being used. Outside the prison in Lucasville, anti-execution activists tolled bells to mark his death, which the Associated Press recorded at 10:54 a.m. In a tweet on the eve of the execution, his attorney, Vickie Werneke, said that while Otte had fought vigorously to stop the state from killing him, he was "at peace." Prison officials said he did not sleep the night before the execution. Otte, 45, was sent to death row for fatally shooting Robert Wasikowski and Sharon Kostura during home invasion robberies in a Cleveland suburb in 1992. His last-ditch appeals included claims that use of the execution sedative midazolam is unconstitutional and that he should have been spared the death penalty because he was under 21 at the time of the crime. The anti-execution activist Sister Helen Prejean also took up Otte's cause, tweeting that he has a low IQ and psychological problems. But the U.S. Supreme Court and the state's highest court declined to halt the execution. The state has scheduled another 2 dozen executions between now and 2020. Otte becomes the 55th condemned inmate to be put to death in Ohio since the state resumed capital punishment in 1999. Otte becomes the 18th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1460th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977. (sources: NBC News & Rick Halperin) ___ A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Sept. 13 TANZANIA: I cannot 'execute' convicted murderers - Tanzania's president declares Tanzanian President John Magufuli has stated clearly that he cannot assent to an execution of the death penalty which is legal in the East African country. He said on Monday during the swearing in of Chief Justice Ibrahim Hamis Juma in Dar es Salaam, that he cannot make that "difficult decision" on the execution of convicted murderers. "I know there are people who convicted of murder and waiting for death penalty, but please don't bring the list to me for decision because I know how difficult it is to execute," he said. Tanzania's Penal Code, Cap 16 stipulates the death penalty for serious offenses like murder and treason. According to the Tanzanian NGO Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC), 472 people were sentenced to death in 2015 and among them are 20 women. The Executive Director of LHRC, Dr Hellen Kijo-Bisimba, commended the president for his stance but demanded that he goes further to abolish the penalty. "We need the abolition of this penalty due to the fact that it can???t be implemented; in this case, it should be wise for the judges to change punishment from death to life imprisonment or sentenced to 30 and above years in jail," she was quoted by local media Azania Post. Only about 20 countries countries have abolished the death penalty with Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan still practicing executions. Tanzania last executed a convict in 1994. ** Rights Body Commends Magufuli's Stance On Death Sentence The Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC) has commended President John Magufuli's stance on the execution of a death sentence. During the Swearing in of the Chief Justice (CJ) Prof Ibrahim Juma at State House on Monday September 11, President Magufuli said he is not going to sign any death penalty certificate. The LHRC Executive Director, Dr Hellen Kijo-Bisimba, said the Head of State's statement was encouraging, however, he should influence changes of the law to abolish the punishment or provide lighter ones. "The 3rd and 4th phase president's position on death sentence was known in spite of the fact that they didn't declare publicly. President Magufuli has publicly declared his position, but he should go beyond that," she said adding: "The Head of State should influence changes to relieve judges and magistrates with difficulties they at the time of making rulings." Meanwhile, LHRC has condemned assassination attempt against Singida East MP on Chadema ticket Tundu Lissu. Dr Bisimba said Mr Lissu's attack has raised concern on the country's security. The rights group has recorded a total of 37 peace threatening incidents since 2015. Therefore, she suggested that an independent commission of inquiry should be formed by the Parliament and international organs to comprehensively investigate the matter. "Also, people implicated in previous attacks should be arrested and prosecuted. The legal profession should be left to freely fulfill its duties and that clerics should condemn attacks with all efforts," she said. Mr Lissu who is also the President of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) and Opposition Chief Whip is now admitted at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi Kenya where he was referred after surviving gunshots. (source for both: africanews.com) MALDIVES: UN urges independent judiciary for Maldivians The United Nations had called out for a transparent and indiscriminate judicial system in Maldives. Speaking during the 36th session of the Human Rights Council of UN, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zaid Ra'ad Al Hussain confirmed of receiving several complaints and concerning reports of Maldivians being stripped from their constitutional rights and civil liberties. He expressed his grave concern regarding the matter. He also stressed his concern regarding the dubious conduct of other judicial bodies and authorities in Maldives - in which he emphasized the breach of Maldives National Defense Force officials into parliament chambers and disqualification of lawmakers under absurd conditions. Hussain had once again reiterated his call to Maldives not to re-commence death penalty as capital punishment. (source: avas.mv) LEBANON: Death penalty calls for Hamoush killer Beirut's 1st investigative judge, Ghassan Oweidat issued an indictment Tuesday in the murder case of Roy Hamoush, requesting the death penalty for the perpetrators. Mohammed Al-Ahmar and 2 others were arrested shortly after killing the 24-year-old student. Hamoush was shot dead on the Dora highway, north of Beirut, in early June. That night, Roy had just finished celebrating his birthday and was headed home with a friend when a traffic dispute broke out between them and 3 armed men in a BMW. Adnan Jamal Ghandour and Hani Mohammed Al-Mawla have also been charged with attempted murder. (source: The
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----IND., MO., UTAH, IDAHO
Sept. 13 INDIANA: Poorly executedInmate challenges state's lethal cocktail change In its 201-year history, Indiana has used 3 methods of execution. Hanging was the primary method until 1913, followed by electrocution. In 1995, the Department of Correction began using lethal injec-tion - a protocol soon to be reviewed by the Indiana Supreme Court. Vacating a ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals, the state's highest court rightly will take up the question of whether the department has overstepped its authority in changing its procedures for carrying out the death penalty. The Supreme Court will independently review facts in a case challenging the Department of Correction's 2014 decision to use a new 3-drug combination in lethal injections. A lawsuit filed by a death row inmate argues the DOC can't change its execution protocol without public notice or comment. The appeals court agreed in a unanimous ruling and effectively halted executions in the state. They are likely on hold while the Supreme Court reviews the case. 12 men are currently on death row in Indiana, and 1 woman is being held in Ohio under Indiana's death penalty law. No executions are scheduled due to prior court rulings or pending appeals. Joseph Corcoran, sentenced to death in 1999 for killing 4 people in a house on Bayer Avenue, is the only Allen County inmate. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, he has exhausted his appeals. The appeals court decision challenging the Department of Correction was a victory for Roy Ward and other death row prisoners who argue they should not be executed with experimental drugs. The department unilaterally decided 2 years ago to use a 3-drug combination of the barbiturate methohexital, followed by pancuronium bromide, a paralytic, followed by potassium chloride to stop the prisoner's heart. The combination allegedly has not been used in any other execution in the United States. The department claimed authority to change its lethal injection procedure as an internal policy, but the appeals court agreed with the plaintiff that the decision was an administrative rule with the effect of law, which must be adopted under the guidelines of the Indiana Administrative Rules and Procedure Act. "(T)he public has a right to know what unelected bureaucrats at state agencies are doing," said attorney David Frank, who represented Ward before the appeals court. The decision doesn't mean Indiana cannot carry out executions, but it brings what the state is doing "out of the shadows" and holds state officials accountable, he said. It is not known whether the state has a sufficient supply of each drug to carry out an execution. The Indiana General Assembly, in the biennial budget bill, authorized Gov. Eric Holcomb and the department to grant anonymity to drugmakers that agree to supply the drugs. A nationwide shortage exists because pharmaceutical companies, under pressure from death-penalty opponents, are refusing to sell their drugs for execution purposes. A federal appeals court cleared the way earlier this year for the state of Ohio to use a 3-drug mixture in lethal injections, although death-penalty opponents have said they will ask the Supreme Court to review that decision. The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun famously criticized the process of administering the death penalty as tinkering with "the machinery of death." The decision before Indiana's highest court might well amount to tinkering but - as the law of the land here and in 30 other states - it deserves solemn and serious consideration. (source: Editorial, Journal-Gazette) MISSOURI: 5 retired judges will lead an inquiry into the death penalty case of Marcellus Williams. 5 retired judges will lead an inquiry into the death penalty case of Marcellus Williams. Gov. Eric Greitens appointed the board of inquiry Tuesday to consider whether Williams should be executed for the 1998 death of former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Lisha Gayle. Greitens issued a stay of execution in August just hours before Williams was to be executed. The board members are Booker Shaw, who served on the Missouri Court of Appeals and as a trial judge in St. Louis; Michael David, a former circuit court judge in St. Louis; Peggy McGraw Fenner, a former circuit court judge in Jackson County; Carol Jackson, who served on the U.S. District Court, Eastern District; and Paul Spinden, who was on the Missouri Court of Appeals. (source: Associated Press) UTAH: It's time for Utah to re-examine the death penalty Debate and discourse in the public sphere is how we make better policy. We at Utah Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty have heard from people across the state that it's time for a more robust public debate about the death penalty. Long gone are the days where the death penalty was a partisan issue. Now, Utahns of every political background are
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, VA., N.C., GA., OHIO
Sept. 13 TEXAS: Parents of slain Putt-Putt manager still opposed to execution of their son's killer The parents of a Putt-Putt assistant manager killed in 2006 told a judge Tuesday they are still against the death penalty even though their son's killer received it. Paul Storey, 32, of Fort Worth received the death penalty for the murder of Jonas Cherry, who begged for his life before he was shot to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in April granted Storey a stay of execution. A district court hearing continued Tuesday to determine whether defense attorneys were notified by prosecutors during Storey's 2008 trial that Cherry's parents were against the death penalty. "Judith and Glenn Cherry did not want death for Mr. Storey," an affidavit from the parents stated. "Unknown to the jury and contrary to the state's argument, they stood with the family members who pleaded for the jury to spare Mr. Storey's life." "I've always thought that way," Judith Cherry, the mother of Jonas Cherry, testified Tuesday. "Yes, it stayed that way even after my son's murder because I did not want to change my values on that. We were told because [Jonas Cherry's widow] was next-of-kin, her opinion carried more weight." The hearing Tuesday was before Judge Everett Young. Attorneys Mike Ware and Keith Hampton represent Storey, who was dressed Tuesday in a red Tarrant County Jail outfit, sat without showing emotion in the courtroom and rarely spoke to his lawyers. Attorneys Travis Bragg, Matthew Ottoway and Rachel Patton from the state attorney general's office represented the Tarrant County district attorney's office. 3 defense attorneys in the case - Larry Moore, Mark Daniel and Tim Moore - testified Tuesday they were never told by former Tarrant County assistant district attorneys Robert Foran and Christy Jack about Cherry's parents opposing the death penalty. Defense attorney William "Bill" Ray testified that he couldn't say if he was told. Daniel and Tim Moore represented Storey's accomplice, Mark Porter, in the 2008 trial. Larry Moore and Ray represented Storey. "But if I had known, I would have tried to get the state to waive the death penalty," Ray testified. Larry Moore, who is now with the Tarrant County district attorney's office, testified he didn't learn about how the Cherrys opposed the death penalty until this year. "I was shocked and surprised," Moore said when asked how he felt when he heard. "My opinion has changed considerably about [Jack]. My concerns are about her candor." He noted that, had he known, he could have raised objections during Jack's closing argument in Storey's trial when she told jurors the Cherry family believed the death penalty was appropriate. State District Judge Mollee Westfall, U.S. Magistrate Jeffrey Cureton and Letty Martinez, a partner at Varghese Summersett, testified Tuesday afternoon that Jack was a credible and truthful attorney. Jack and Foran testified repeatedly Monday that lawyers for Storey and Porter were told that Cherry's parents were against the death penalty. Prosecutors have said that while the Cherrys were generally opposed to the death penalty, they were in agreement at the time of the 2008 trial that Storey should be executed because he had refused to accept a plea bargain for life without parole. On Monday, Bragg introduced a card from the Cherrys to Foran and Jack, thanking them for their work on the case and their "professionalism." Jonas Cherry was at Putt-Putt Golf and Games, across Texas 121/Loop 820 from North East Mall in Hurst. Shortly before 9 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2006, Storey and Porter stood over Cherry, who pleaded: "Please! I gave you what you want. Don't hurt me." They refused, shot him twice in the head and twice in his legs and fled with $200 to $700. Storey and Porter were convicted of capital murder, but only Storey got the death penalty. Porter got life without parole after making a deal with the district attorney's office. The hearing recessed Tuesday, and more testimony is pending sometime in the next few weeks. After the conclusion of testimony, a decision could take weeks or months, according to attorneys on Tuesday. (source: star-telegram.com) VIRGINIA: Report needed fresh numbers on death penalty Frank Green of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in an article running in the Free Lance-Star [Only 4 inmates are on death row in Virginia, Sept. 6, 2017] that a 2016 Gallup national poll showed that 60 % of respondents favored the death penalty and only 37 % opposed it. However, a 2017 Pew Foundation national poll asking the same question found that 49 % favored the death penalty and 42 % opposed it, a large shift in public opinion in just 1 year. One wonders why the more recent and dramatically different poll results were not reported by Mr. Green. A 2014 Gallup poll asked about the death penalty in a slightly different
