I don't feel very good about this country this morning, and as so many of us are I'm thinking of how Troy Davis was hustled off this mortal coil by the State of Georgia without a lot of thought of what it means to execute the innocent.
And given the choice, I'd rather see us abandon the death penalty altogether, for reasons that must, at this moment, seem self-evident; that said, it's my suspicion that a lot of states are not going to be in any hurry to abandon their death penalties anytime soon now that they know the Supreme Court will allow the innocent to be murdered.
So what if there was a way to create a compromise that balanced the absolute need to protect the innocent with the feeling among many Americans that, for some crimes, we absolutely have to impose the death penalty?
Considering the circumstances, it's not going to be an easy subject, but let's give it a try, and see what we can do.
Following is text of a letter I sent to Governor Rell regarding the veto of the Death Penalty bill. While I expected the veto there were other things to be disappointed about:
As a general rule, I believe that bloggers should read press releases, analyze them, and provide context and insight. However, I've been in DC for the past few days, will be in New York today and in Springfield on Saturday, so I don't have the time or energy to give the following letter from Sen. Andrew McDonald and Rep. Mike Lawlor to Gov. Jodi Rell the attention it deserves.
So, below the fold, you will find the letter, as it is. Hopefully others will have time for reflection and comments.
(Video from this important press conference added and post is bumped to the top. - promoted by ctblogger)
Randy Steidl is introduced by Attorney Edward J Gavin, President of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Steidl, Gavin, and lawyers called on Gov Rell to abolish the death penalty at a press conference at the State Capitol today. Photo by ctblogger
Hartford - Thursday afternoon, the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association held a press conference with Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book Dead Man Walking, and Randy Steidl, the 123rd Death Row Exoneree. Many of the standard points about what is wrong with the Death Penalty were raised. It doesn't work. It risks the lives of innocent people. It is not an effective deterrent. It is too expensive. It is unevenly applied. There is racial, economic and geographic disparities in how it is applied. It is applied with impermissible arbitrariness. Yet the real question is, what kind of a State are we?
Mr. Steidl talked about how less than one per cent of murderers are given the death penalty and how it is nothing but revenge. Revenge is a hate crime, and we have laws against hate crimes in our country. He called on Americans to wake up. This isn't Russia, China, or Afghanistan. This is the United States of America. We are better than that.
Sister Helen Prejean brought the message even more closely home. She lives in Louisiana. She noted that 80% of the executions in the United States come from former slave states, but that Connecticut isn't a state driven by vengeance and hatred. She applauded the wisdom of our legislators and challenged the Governor to embrace the same wisdom.
(In this Jan. 29, 2009 file photo, Gordon "Randy" Steidl of Illinois testifies before the Nebraska Judiciary Committee about his 12 years on death row before his conviction for stabbing a newlywed couple to death was thrown out, during testimony on a measure that would allow Nebraska to put inmates to death with lethal injection, in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska is among several states that have legislation pending that could end the death penalty. --AP)
Five years ago today, Randy Steidl walked out of the Danville Correction Center in Illinois after having spent over seventeen years in prison after having been wrongfully convicted in the 1986 murder of Dyke and Karen Rhoads.
It was a gruesome murder, two people brutally stabbed and the house set on fire in a peaceful community where these sort of outrages are unexpected. Mr. Steidl, together with Herb Whitlock where convicted of the murders on questionable testimony.
As I read about the case, I cannot help but consider the parallels and differences between this case and the Cheshire Home Invasion.
Both cases are likely to be on the minds of many this afternoon as Mr. Steidl, together with Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, join representatives of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers for a news conference at 3 PM in Room 1C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to call on Governor Rell to sign Raised Bill 6578 which would abolish the death penalty in Connecticut.
(Throughout the discussion regarding the abolishing of the death penalty, the media focuses family members of horrific crimes that are on one side of the issue. On Friday, State Rep Gary Holder-Winfield held a press conference and allowed family victims of murder who support abolishing the death penalty a chance to be heard.
I've added my photos and video from Friday's presser to Rep. Holder-Winfield's post: ctblogger)
Family members of murdered victims spoke in support of abolishing of the death penalty.
Pictured: Cindy Siclari at podium. (From left to right) Gail Canzano, Elizabeth Brancato, State Representative Gary Holder-Winfield, Rev. Walter Everett, Anne and Brett Stone
On Friday May 22 I held a press conference with family members of victims of murder who do not agree with Governor Rell's position on the death penalty. If the Governor is going to continue speaking about the feelings of those who have lost someone to one of these heinous crimes I believe it is incumbent upon her to meet with these individuals.
Opening remarks by Rep. Holder-Winfield and comments from Walter Everett:
WALTER EVERETT, whose son Scott was killed in Bridgeport in July 1987, listens to state senators debating a bill to abolish the death penalty. Everett, who forgave his son's killer, is an outspoken opponent of the death penalty. He and his wife, Nancy, at right, drove to Hartford from Lewisburg, Pa. (JOHN WOIKE / HARTFORD COURANT / May 21, 2009)
This morning, at 4:11, the CT State Senate narrowly voted to repeal the Death Penalty in Connecticut and replace it with life in prison without opportunity for release. While many bloggers stayed up late to watch the debate, including some great live blogging at Gideon's Trumpet, many of us went to bed long before the vote and only heard the results via traditional media sources.
It was a narrow vote in the Senate, and I'm extremely disappointed that my own Senator, Joe Crisco, voted against the bill, as did Senator Gayle Slossberg of Milford. Other Democrats voting against the bill included Sen. Donald DeFronzo, Sen. Paul Doyle and Senator Thomas Gaffney. One of the Republican's most faithful Senators, who lists herself as a Democrat, Sen. Joan Hartley also voted against the bill.
Many of us wondered during the debate where the church was on this. It seems as if some are very eager to rally against marriage equality, or against provisions to make it easier to hold church officials accountable for misdoings, but when it comes to the Death Penalty, we don't hear much from the church.
Like Gov. Rell, I'm an Episcopalian, so I'll refer to our church's position on the Death Penalty. In 1988, the Lambdeth Conference passed Resolution 33, which "Urges the Church to speak out against...all governments who practice capital punishment". Gov. Rell should respect the position of the church on this issue and sign the bill repealing the Death Penalty. However, most people do not expect this to happen.
(cross posted from New Haven Independent) I thought it would be interesting to provide people with some of my thoughts, thoughts which normally would not be accessible. Hopefully this provides those that read it the chance to see that behind the public victory there are issues that some of us wrestle with in our quiet moments.
I was supposed to celebrate to drink and revel in my victory. I was supposed to wake the next morning jubilant. I did neither.
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