Oct. 7
TEXAS:
House candidates clash over death penalty
Republican state Rep. Charlie Geren is facing a Democratic challenger who
has made abolishing the death penalty a top priority.
Geren, 55, a Fort Worth restaurateur and developer, is seeking his 3rd
term in the Texas House of Representatives for District 99.
His opponent, political newcomer Jeanette Popp, 54, of Azle, has become an
advocate for abolishing the death penalty since her daughter, Nancy
DePriest, was murdered in 1988.
The district includes parts of Fort Worth and stretches to Lake Worth,
River Oaks and Azle.
Popp said she is concerned that innocent people could be executed and says
she believes that it costs more to execute someone than to keep people in
prison for life.
"We are more concerned about executing someone than we are about taking
care of our children," she said.
Geren said he does not believe in abolishing the death penalty.
"I strongly support the death penalty," he said.
"I definitely see it as a deterrent."
The candidates also have differing opinions on reforming the state's
school finance system.
Geren said he supports broad-based taxes, including a business activity
tax. He also recommends asking Texas voters to decide whether to use
gambling to help fund Texas schools.
"It would require a constitutional amendment," he said. "People in Texas
would have the final say."
Popp opposes gambling, saying that it leads to addiction and crime.
Geren said he is also concerned about improving air and water quality in
the state, and curbing high insurance rates.
Popp said she would work to provide health care to more children and
senior citizens.
IN THE KNOW
Texas House of Representatives, District 99
Term: 2 years
Salary: $7,200 annually
Charlie Geren
Incumbent
Age: 55
Party: Republican
Residence: Fort Worth
Occupation: Restaurant owner and real estate developer
Background: Two terms in the Texas House of Representatives; trustee,
Texas Christian University; treasurer/executive committee member,
Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show; former member, Texas Water
Development Board; former member, Tarrant Regional Water District board
Priorities: Improving air and water quality, resolving problems with
public school finance, controlling rising insurance rates
Web site: www.charliegeren.com
Jeanette Popp
Age: 54
Party: Democrat
Residence: Azle
Occupation: Public speaker
Background: Board member, Texas Association to Abolish the Death Penalty;
chairman, Texas Moratorium Network
Priorities: To abolish the death penalty and use money spent on executions
to fund education and after-school programs; to provide health care for
children and senior citizens
Web site: www.texaspopp.com
(source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
********************
It's getting personal for death penalty protester
David Atwood has devoted much effort over the last 10 years to abolish the
death penalty, and has taken a vow to hold vigil at the Huntsville "Walls"
Unit during each execution this month and fast until the Oct. 26 execution
of Dominique Green.
He began fasting Tuesday night during the execution of Edward Green II.
"I'm doing this for more personal reasons right now," Atwood said. "It
took me a long time to decide to do this, and I thought about it a lot. In
terms of choosing this month, I am involved in a lot of education programs
about the death penalty, and I saw 11 coming up, and there could be more.
I needed to do something different than I've ever done before."
Atwood is a member of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and
said the high number of executions scheduled throughout he balance of 2004
is a reason to protest. 11 executions are scheduled through the end of the
year - 8 from Harris County.
"I wanted to be out here for a longer period of time," he said. "When I'm
out here, I am writing, reading and praying. I pray that we would stop
executions at some point because it's useless and immoral. I know it's not
a perfect system. It's a human system, and Ernest Willis is a perfect
example."
Convicted in the 1986 arson murder of Betsy Beleu, Willis was sentenced to
death. Another woman, Gail Allison, also died in the fire.
But Willis' conviction was overturned this week by 112th District Judge M.
Brock Jones, who issued the order granting the state's motion to dismiss.
He was released Wednesday from death row.
"In the case of Edward Green last night, I know he was guilty - he
confessed, and there is no arguing that," Atwood said. "But I think if you
look at his upbringing and childhood, that should have been a mitigating
factor for getting a life sentence.
Atwood will fast on bread an water throughout the month and will be
outside the "Walls" Unit during each execution. His organization will
continue to educate and research the death penalty.
"We have great sympathy for the victims of the crime and their families
and friends, but the death penalty is a false solution to a crime," Atwood
said in a media release. "We can protect society by long-term
incarceration of dangerous criminals. People who promote the death penalty
in Texas are not doing this state any favor - they are only creating more
victims and perpetuating he cycle of violence and vengeance.
"We would be doing much more for the citizens of this state by addressing
the root of causes of violence such as the horrific abuse and neglect of
children, untreated mental disabilities and negative peer pressure."
Atwood also said he has the opportunity in his protest to answer questions
from stoppers-by and through the organization. "I'm doing this because of
the moral perspective," he said Wednesday. "I come from a Catholic
background, and it was just a very natural thing for me to come out here."
(source: Huntsville Item)
*******************
Freed Death-Row Inmate Savors Freedom, Slams Bush
Ernest Willis, the 8th exonerated inmate to walk off of Texas' death row,
touched his wife for the 1st time in his early hours of freedom and
criticized President Bush on Thursday as one who had not cared about his
innocence.
Willis, 59, was released on Wednesday after a state court ruled he
received an unfair trial and likely did not set the June 1986 fire that
killed 2 young women in the West Texas town of Iraan.
Willis told reporters he was "not the least bit" angry at the loss of 17
years of freedom, although he has lost faith in the American system.
"There were a lot of people who knew I was innocent and didn't care, and
one of those is running the country right now," Willis said, referring to
Bush, who was Texas governor for part of Willis' incarceration.
Including Bush, 4 people served as governor while Willis was on death row.
However, a governor's individual powers to commute a sentence are limited
under Texas law. The Texas governor may only issue a temporary 30-day stay
when an execution is imminent, which never happened to Willis.
The courts eventually accepted Blank's argument that Willis was improperly
drugged during his trial, received ineffective counsel and that
prosecutors withheld a psychological report saying Willis was not a future
danger to society, a key test under Texas law in determining a death
sentence.
Attorney Jim Blank, who took Willis' the case in late 1992, estimated
legal fees would have surpassed $5 million if Willis had been forced to
pay for the services of various lawyers, experts and investigators.
Willis told reporters on Thursday he is done with Texas.
"For sure. You don't have to worry about me ever coming back here," Willis
said at a news conference, flanked by his lawyers and wife, Verilyn. "If
I'm in an airplane, you don't have to worry about me flying over this
thing."
Willis celebrated his 4th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. He had met his
wife, Verilyn, through her brother, a death row inmate who was executed in
2000.
The couple married 9 days after Verilyn's brother was executed. Until this
week, the couple always had been separated by a window in the death row
visitation area.
"It was the 1st time we had ever touched," Verilyn Willis said of their
meeting this week.
(source: Reuters)
