Feb. 3 VIRGINIA----re----juvenile dp legislation Juvenile Death Penalty Bill Proposed State Delegate Vincent Callahan (R-34) introduced House Bill 1975 Monday, a bill that would change the age for the juvenile death penalty from 16 to 18 years old. "Theres something fundamentally wrong with executing children," Callahan said from his Richmond office. The bill was presented a week after Senate Bill 1078 was introduced by Sen. Patsy Ticer (D-30), calling for the same change. Sen. Ticer was unavailable for comment at the time of this publication. Testifying in favor of the bill were Melissa Goemann, director of the Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center at the University of Richmond and Dr. Jeffery Aaron from the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents. "It is morally wrong" to execute offenders under the age of 18, Goemann said. "There is a strong international consensus against it. Even Pakistan and Iraq will not admit to the practice in their own countries." In her written testimony before the Senate last week, Goemann cited that 'only 7 states have actually executed a juvenile offended since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976,' and that in 2002, 'The United States was the only country in the world to execute those who committed an offense while under the age of 18.' "We hope Virginia follows many of the states and other countries and abolish the death penalty for juvenile offenders," she said. Recent studies have proven, medically at least, that "kids are not the same as adults, and theres a lot of research that shows that reason, judgment, planning, rational thought, that part of the brain doesnt fully develop until the early 20s and is actually the last part of the brain to fully mature," Aaron said. "Of course theres a challenge to that finding, that adolescents are different from each other, but theres no way of telling by looking at an adolescent, whos got the maturity and who doesn't," he said. If the process of executing juveniles under the age of 18 is allowed to continue, Aaron believes the punishment cannot fit the crimes committed due to lack of development." BOTH TICER AND CALLAHANS BILLS were tabled and sent to the Crimes Commission for further research. It is possible that the bills were tabled pending an upcoming Supreme Court hearing on the case of Roper vs. Simmons, the case of a 17-year-old Missouri youth convinced of abducting and killing a woman in 1993. The Missouri Supreme Court overruled a death sentence saying the punishment could be considered cruel and unusual because of his young age. "If the Supreme Court rules that carrying out the death penalty for those who are under 18 when committing a capital offense is unconstitutional, the current Virginia statute will be invalidated and the Crime Commission can work on a new statute," Goemann said. "If they allow the sentencing to stand, the Crime Commission can start researching from there." "I'm happy with the outcome," Callahan said. "The bill won't be passed right away, but the Crime Commission will be studying the issue." (source: The Connection) CONNECTICUT: Death row inmates hold hunger strike 5 death-row inmates waged a hunger strike Thursday, asking to be allowed recreation with one another and calling their solitary confinement "inhumane and tantamount to psychological torture." The inmates said their protest was not about serial killer Michael Ross, whose execution was put on hold this week after his attorney said Ross' living conditions could have contributed to his decision to forgo further appeals. The protest, publicized by a group that opposes the death penalty, was confirmed by Department of Correction spokesman Brian Garnett said. He declined to identify the participating inmates, who are at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers and are among 8 condemned to die in Connecticut. "The situation is being monitored," Garnett said. In a statement, the inmates said their request for communal recreation was "not unreasonable." At present, the inmates are alone in their cells 23 hours a day, and each gets an hour of solitary recreation outside the cells. "Death row inmates are extremely well-behaved and cause no problems or dangers to the correctional officers or each other," they said. The statement mentions the phenomenon know as "death row syndrome," a theory that solitary isolation can cause severe mental health problems and suicidal tendencies. They called the segregation "inhumane and tantamount to psychological torture." Medication and temporary suicide watches were not helpful solutions, they said, because inmates had to return to the same segregation and often spent decades there as their appeals wound their way through the courts. Ross' attorney has sought a hearing to examine whether Ross, who has moved to forgo further appeals and end his life, suffers from death row syndrome. The inmates said they understood Ross' actions but were not acting on his behalf. "What we are doing is simply refusing to eat for the duration, however long," they wrote. Robert Nave, executive director of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty, which forwarded the prisoners' concerns to members of the media, said his group is not involved in the protest and does not endorse it. A news release from the network said death row inmates have no direct contact with one another but can communicate in "rudimentary ways." The group said two death row inmates are not participating in the hunger strike because they are diabetic, but were involved in drafting the statement. Ross, who has confessed to eight murders in New York and Connecticut, would have become the 1st person to be executed in New England since 1960. Ross had hired attorney T.R. Paulding Jr. last year to press his effort to waive his appeals and be executed as soon as possible. Paulding had pursued his client's goal until Friday, after a federal judge criticized him for helping Ross end his life. Paulding said he needed to consider whether conditions on death row had affected Ross' mental state. On the Net: Corrections Department: http://www.ct.gov/doc Connecticut Network: http://www.nodp.org/cnadp (source: Associated Press) ************************ Should the Death Penalty be Restored in Connecticut The case has become a national breaking news story and issue that may change the lives of those locally and even affect some of us here at SHU. Michael Ross is a convicted serial killer who has admittedly murdered 8 young women in three states. As if that is not shocking and scary enough, the issue hits close to home when we find out that 6 of these 8 women were murdered locally in the state of Connecticut. When convicted and tried, Ross pled guilty, remorsefully admitting to the murders of these women. Ross received six death sentences in 1987, however the Connecticut State Supreme Court overturned these in 1994. The state is extremely hesitant to use the punishment of the death penalty despite the fact that this man is responsible for eight deaths. The last execution that took place in Connecticut was in 1960. In addition to that there has never been a death by injection, a penalty which Ross is facing. Since then, the state has used alternate forms of retribution for criminals such as life in prison. This case has been in limbo now for 18 years and will finally be put to rest this week, deciding if Ross will be put to death, or spend the rest of his life in prison without a date of release. The death penalty is and has always been a huge issue of debate. However, in this case it has become even more controversial because Ross has reportedly done much soul searching during his time of confinement and appears regretful. He says that he has accepted the death sentence has a form of repentance for the pain and suffering for those who he has killed and their families. He has urged the state to move forward promptly with his punishment. There have been many conflicting opinions including those of the public, the residents of Connecticut and especially the church who is anti-death penalty. Bishop Lori has been actively trying to repeal the death penalty, believing that Ross' life can be saved. He says, " As a community of faith and reason, as believers and citizens, we need to ponder carefully what is about to take place and then to make our voices heard." Bishop Lori, on behalf of the Catholic Church, pleas with Connecticut locals try protest this punishment, despite Ross' beg to carry through. This controversy hits us hard at SHU for few reasons. Primarily it is frightening to know that these murders have taken place locally in what we consider a safe haven here at school. Secondly, there are many conflicting opinions of what action should be taken considering the fact that SHU is a Catholic based school. However, not all students agree with the Catholic Church's view on what should happen to Ross. "I know this is a Catholic school, but this man killed 8 women, 6 in our area alone. That scares me and I think Connecticut should set an example to other potential murderers by putting him to death. I would feel a lot safer that way," said Leila Noujaim, a sophomore and local resident of Watertown. However there are other students who tend to disagree. "We shouldn't put him to death, giving him what he wants after he murdered eight helpless women. Put him in jail to suffer for the rest of his life and it will be example enough," said Michele Puzzo, a sophomore from Westchester, NY. There are many conflicting opinions here based on religious and personal beliefs about the death penalty. However, being that we are so close to the scene of the crime and the choice made may affect us, this issue has become more of a safety concern than a matter of belief. (source: Sacred Heart Spectrum) TENNESSEE: Prosecutors seek death penalty in Pigeon River double murder Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a Sevierville man charged with 1st-degree murder in the deaths of 2 men whose bodies were found in the Pigeon River. District Attorney General Al Schmutzer filed notice that the state will seek capital punishment or life without the possibility of parole if 35-year-old Shannon Ted Adams is convicted. Adams' alleged victims, Butch Wayne Phillips of Sevierville and his uncle, Sherman "Hank" Ray Phillips of Dandridge, were discovered in the river in November. Both had been shot several times. Authorities have said Adams was dating Phillips' sister, but they haven't discussed a motive for the crimes. The trial date is set for July 19th. (source: Associated Press)
