In
the news
| Death Penalty Abolition on the March
- All out for March 24! Posted on March 21, 2007  A Statement from the DC/MD Campaign to End the Death Penalty On March 15th, the recent drive to abolish Maryland’s death penalty failed when the Senate Judiciary committee narrowly rejected repeal legislation. While the failure of legislative efforts is certainly a defeat, there remains plenty for abolitionists to be happy about: a firmly in-place Maryland Court of Appeals imposed moratorium on executions, declining public support for executions, and a death penalty-repeal supporting Governor in the statehouse. In addition, death penalty opponents can be pleased that State Senator Lisa Gladden (D-Baltimore) not only stood behind her death penalty repeal bill in the General Assembly, but resisted efforts to amend abolition legislation to allow executions for those accused of killing correctional officers. In a state that already effectively limits executions to killers of whites – such an amendment should be seen as a desperate effort by pro-death penalty supporters to save capital punishment. Hopes for the repeal bill’s passage were dashed when right-wing Senator, Alex Mooney (R-Frederick), decided death penalty repeal was “not in the best interest… of Maryland citizens.” Mooney, who has been enjoying weeks of media attention as he publicly agonized over his decision, finally decided state-sanctioned murder was too important to give up. We shouldn’t be distracted by Mooney’s tortured soul – for those who campaigned on behalf of California’s Stan “Tookie” Williams, the Frederick Republican’s moralizing sounds just as hollow as Governor Schwarzenegger's feigned concern as he green-lighted Tookie’s execution. This is, after all, the same Alex Mooney who argued against expanding the state’s hate crime laws to include protections for gays and lesbians, because it was part of an “extreme gay rights agenda.” The main reason behind the failure of abolition legislation remains the entrenched support for the death penalty among the old-guard of the Democratic Party, lead by Senator Mike Miller (D-PG County). Miller’s continued support for the death penalty makes it impossible to petition abolition legislation directly to the Senate floor -- we don’t have the votes. Miller and the old-guard still read from the Democratic Party playbook written in the 1980’s that sought benefits from the harmful and racially divisive politics of “tough-on-crime,” while depriving the Republicans of an issue to attack them with. Times, however, have changed. Support for the death penalty has been eroding for nearly a decade in Maryland. Ever since the campaign to stop the execution of Tyrone X Gilliam, activists have worked successfully to expose the reality of Maryland's barbaric and racially biased death penalty. These efforts have put death penalty supporters on the defensive and have kept the debate over capital punishment at the center of Maryland political life. Adding fuel to this fire are the over 120 innocent men and women who have walked off death row nationally -- leading more and more people to question the death penalty. In addition to the declining public support for the death penalty, abolitionists are also finding an unlikely ally among more pragmatic-minded administrators of the Maryland judicial system. More and more prosecutors, judges, and Department of Correction officials are searching for a way out of the deep crisis in Maryland’s justice system. With prisons bursting from the seams, exonerated prisoners exposing the flawed process, and wide-ranging scandals continuing to erupt involving police and correctional staff – the idea of abandoning the harsh and wasteful logic of incarceration and death is becoming more popular. The recent closure of the Maryland House of Correction in Jessup is just one example of these changes. O’Malley and the Maryland Court of Appeal’s desire to break from old-guard Democrats stems as much from this crisis as it does from changing attitudes on the death penalty. But as the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s showed – the old guard never gives up easily, it must be confronted, challenged and exposed. The hateful logic of capital punishment must be revealed for what it is: barbaric and unjust. In many ways the debate at the “top” of the Maryland judicial system has created such an opportunity for abolitionists, our main challenge has been to effectively rise to this occasion. The entire state of Maryland is currently asking the question: Do we need the death penalty? We must endeavor to provide a loud and clear answer: NO. As Maryland CASE director Jane Henderson said after the recent legislative defeat, “We’re not going anywhere.” Indeed! Not only should we remain confident and proud of our accomplishments -- but we must seek ways to push forward. This legislative session was only the first round in the battle for abolition. The demonstration on March 24th provides a perfect opportunity to begin the next round of this battle. This Saturday, March 24th at 1 PM, the Baltimore-DC Campaign to End the Death Penalty and the Baltimore Coalition to Abolish the Death penalty are organizing a demonstration outside Baltimore’s death row (401 E. Madison Ave., Baltimore, MD). This is a perfect opportunity to show the abolitionist movement is not going anywhere – and we will continue to fight until we win abolition! All out this Saturday! Campaign to End the Death Penalty www.nodeathpenalty.org Exonerated death row prisoners testify in Maryland: Proof the system is broken Posted on March 16, 2007 From the Socialist Worker by Chris Yarrison and Kevin Boston MANY HAVE called Maryland’s death penalty a “failing system.” Recently, two committees in the Maryland House and Senate heard wide-ranging testimony for and against repeal, while a moratorium on executions has been in place since December. ... Though most people testifying before the committees focused on innocence, deterrence and the cost of capital punishment, Katy O'Donnell, chief attorney for the Maryland office of the Public Defender, was one of the few to argue that race tends to determine sentencing, showing the continued urgency of the study's results. Click here to read the entire article. Maryland death penalty repeal rejected Posted on March 15, 2007 In narrowest of votes, Senate committee defeats proposal backed by O'Malley By Jennifer Skalka Sun Reporter After weeks of behind-the-scenes wrangling and an emotional hearing, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee defeated a proposal today to repeal the death penalty in Maryland. The committee's 5-to-5 vote is expected to bury the measure for the General Assembly session, even though a similar bill is still being considered in the House Judiciary Committee. Six votes were needed on the 11-member Senate committee to pass the bill, which had the support of Gov. Martin O'Malley. Read the full article by clicking here. Law enforcers oppose death penalty Posted on March 14, 2007 Senate panel's vote tomorrow may seal measure's fate this year By Jennifer Skalka Sun reporter Supporters of repealing the death penalty gathered corrections officials, prosecutors and police chiefs in Annapolis yesterday to argue that the criminal justice system is broken beyond repair and that capital punishment cannot be fairly or reliably applied. "It is a human system, and because it is fallible and because it is human, it makes mistakes," said Matthew Campbell, a former deputy state's attorney for Montgomery and Howard counties. "Execution makes those mistakes irreversible." Click here to read the entire article O'Malley lobbies for repeal Posted on February 22, 2007 Governor urges an end to death penalty in Md. Sun reporter February 22, 2007 Expending valuable political capital early in his term, Gov. Martin O'Malley appeared before two General Assembly committees yesterday to make a forceful call for repealing the death penalty. O'Malley, a Democrat, told lawmakers that the death penalty does not deter crime, carries excessive costs and damages human dignity. Click here to read the entire story. O'Malley plans to testify on death penalty bill Posted on February 20, 2007 He will back repeal at legislative hearing in rare appearance for a governor The Associated Press February 20, 2007, 7:02 PM EST ANNAPOLIS -- Gov. Martin O'Malley will add his opposition to the death penalty to legislative debates about capital punishment on Wednesday, a rare show of support for a Maryland governor. O'Malley planned to talk to House and Senate committees considering a repeal of the death penalty in the wake of a court ruling last year that said lethal injection couldn't be carried out until lawmakers clarified the procedure. The ruling puts executions on hold until lawmakers act, so death penalty opponents in the legislature have proposed a repeal. Read the rest of this article. Md. high court orders executions halted Posted on December 19, 2006 State court finds procedures established improperly By Jennifer McMenamin SUN REPORTER Originally published December 19, 2006, 10:54 PM EST In a narrowly tailored decision with potentially sweeping consequences, Maryland's highest court ordered a halt Tuesday to executions in the state, ruling that procedures for putting prisoners to death were never submitted for the public review required by law. Click here to read the entire article. |
Recent Entries - Death Penalty Abolition on the March - All out for March 24! - Exonerated death row prisoners testify in Maryland: Proof the system is broken - Maryland death penalty repeal rejected - Law enforcers oppose death penalty - O'Malley lobbies for repeal - O'Malley plans to testify on death penalty bill - Md. high court orders executions halted Archives - Entries 1 - 7 |