[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Oct. 18 GLOBAL: Innocent people around the world are on death row after being tricked by organised drug gangs. Mary Jane Veloso is not alone as a victim of unscrupulous smuggling racketeers. In recent times heartless and well-organised criminal groups have been targeting vulnerable people, building up a high level of trust and then tricking them into acting as drug mules. The effort and sophistication employed into this dangerous deception is quite extraordinary. If one such innocent mule is caught the organisation then simply replaces him or her with the next victim without the slightest care for the fate of the last one. "Senior Government officials have told ABC 7.30 that crime syndicates with their roots in West Africa have scammed or pressured scores of vulnerable people - the frail, elderly, brain-damaged, mentally ill and juvenile - into couriering drugs into Australia through countries with the death penalty. The 7.30 team has unravelled the inside story of these syndicates, analysed evidence and spoken to drug couriers who say they were scammed into undertaking dangerous journeys through China, Malaysia and the Philippines. A total of 26 Australians are detained in China on drug smuggling charges." Apart from those languishing in foreign prisons a number of these naive drug mules have been arrested on their return to Australia. 39 such people have been arrested in the last 2 years. 2/3 of those who have had their cases finalised have been cleared of any wrongdoing. Email scam victim to drug mule Donald Clay had more than $80,000 stolen in a Nigerian email scam and later was tricked to collect a "long-overdue payment" which instead made him a drug mule. The 58 year old was contacted by the scammers again years later and promised that he would receive a large sum of money by way of compensation and more. "They were going to walk me through, take me to the bank, help me get a bank account. "So then, when I get to the Philippines, that's when he hit me up with this: you give them a gift, so what I'm going to do, I'm going to get shoes and you give those to the officials. "I wanted to believe so bad that common sense left me. "Why someone would do this to somebody who has a family and whose life has been destroyed enough, now you're going to put me in harm's way by making me a heroin trafficker?" After a year in an Australian jail, Mr Clay is back at his home in Indonesia. 2 months ago after a trial, he was released and deported when a jury accepted his incredible tale and found him not guilty of drug smuggling. Mr Clay has been forced to sell off his family's belongings. The scammers have bled him dry. "This has destroyed my life. They're just cowards," he said. "They get innocent people to do their dirty work for them, you know." (source: the-newshub.com) MIDDLE EAST: Death penalty in the Middle East: Here are the most blood-thirsty MENA governments The Middle East is a notoriously unforgiving place, a quality that is nowhere more apparent than in how it executes prisoners. In Saudi Arabia, public beheadings and stonings are the favored method of applying the death penalty, and the condemned are often sedated beforehand. In Egypt, over 500 people were sentenced to death in a single day last year. In Iran, ethnic minorities, non-violent drug offenders and even children are killed in staggering numbers. (source: albawaba.com) JAMAICA: Senate passes Jury Act Senators yesterday voted to amend the Jury Act, paving the way for what Justice Minister Mark Golding said will be "a significant improvement for the justice system and the way the jury system works". The bill provides for the enhancement of the jurypselection process by modifying the rules concerning the number of peremptory challenges allowed. It also provides for the trial by the judge alone, where the prosecution and accused so agree; and the statutory protection of employees summoned to serve as jurors against adverse action from their employers. Golding, in piloting the bill through the Senate a week ago, said the Jury Amendment Act seeks to address the continuing problem of a shortage of jurors to serve the Circuit courts. The inadequate number of jurors has contributed significantly to the delays in the disposal of criminal cases. If approved by the House of Representatives, the amended Jury Act will allow for the production of an expanded list of potential jurors from a combination of the voters' list and the list of persons with Taxpayer Registration Numbers issued under the Revenue Administration Act, and an array of 7 jurors for all jury trials other than for treason or murder, where, on conviction, the death penalty may be imposed. (source: Jamaica Glelaner) PAKISTAN: Pakistan joins list of top executioners As Pakistan hanged the murderer of a former Punjab chief minister, it joined the likes of China and Iran as 1 of
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----KY., ARK., MO., OKLA., NEB., USA
Oct. 18 KENTUCKY: Video: Double murder suspect claims computer virus made him do it In a 2-hour statement to Brown County investigators, Michael Wilcox admitted to killing 2 people and blames a virus sent over the Internet for taking control of him. Wearing a green, suicide prevention suit, Wilcox admitted to killing his girlfriend, Courtney Fowler, and friend Zach Gilkinson. The statements were taken April 2015 after Wilcox's arrest for the killings. He has since pleaded guilty to murdering Fowler as part of a plea agreement. WKRC obtained the videotaped interviews through a public records request to Brown County Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Little. "I felt like I was under control," Wilcox said on the tape." Not under control of myself but that someone else had control of me. Because I love that girl and that was my best friend." Wilcox described how he shot Fowler in the head and back because "noises" in his head told him to. He says a computer virus infected him. "I feel like they sent it over the internet and I felt it go into mea virus.I swear to you. This ain't me." Wilcox said after killing Fowler he drove around for several hours listening to rap music. He then drove to Elsmere, Kentucky where he shot Gilkinson in the basement of his home. "It was boom, boom, boom. I swear to you if I thought about it I would've done myself in, too. Just because I did the 2 people I love." Wilcox has been indicted for Gilkinson's murder. An extradition order has been signed and Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said he expected Wilcox to be transferred in the next few weeks. Sanders saw Wilcox's statement and said it was calculated. "I think anybody who watches those videos, which are now public record in Brown County, can recognize that Mr. Wilcox's explanation for these murders is just off the charts, incomprehensible and really quite silly. I think the evaluations of his mental health show that Mr. Wilcox is faking. He is malingering, which is the technical term for it. He's trying to convince folks that he's crazy." Wilcox was sentenced to 18 years in prison for Fowler's murder. His guilty plea makes the Kentucky case death penalty eligible. Sanders said he had not decided whether to pursue the death penalty. (source: WKRC news) ARKANSAS: State finds path to resuming executions a bumpy road Arkansas' efforts to resume executions after a decade were complicated by unexpected developments in the past week, including judge's orders that the governor said he found confusing and inappropriate. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen on Monday ordered the state to provide "un-redacted package inserts, shipping labels, laboratory test results, and product warnings" related to the drugs it plans to use to execute 8 condemned inmates. The judge issued the order in a lawsuit by the 8 inmates, and 1 other, challenging the state's lethal-injection law, including a provision in the law that requires the sources of execution drugs to be kept secret. Gov. Asa Hutchinson recently set executions dates for the 8, but Griffen issued a temporary restraining order Oct. 9 halting the executions while the suit is pending. In his order Tuesday, Griffen's said the state must provide materials related to the drugs to the court and the plaintiffs, or show why it should not. That came as a surprise to state officials. "I'm a little bit confused whenever the substantive issue (in the court case) is whether the state under the law can restrict the release and have confidentiality of the supplier of the drugs that are involved," Hutchinson said last week. "That's what the law is, and the issue before the court is whether that approach is constitutional and provides due process." Hutchinson said it is "very confusing to me that we were told to release information that is confidential under the law before the opportunity to the litigate the case." Jeff Rosenzweig, the inmates' attorney, said the law requiring sources of executions drugs to be kept secret is not the only thing the case is about. He said the suit also concerns a settlement agreement between the state and the inmates that resolved a 2013 lawsuit challenging the lethal-injection law that was on the books then. "There is a settlement from the 2013 lawsuit that specifically promised the disclosure of this information," Rosenzweig said. "The question - and this is to be decided by Judge Griffen, and ultimately by the Supreme Court - is, does that law impair the contract? The Arkansas Constitution says that no law shall be passed that impairs the obligation of a contract." Griffen also issued an order Wednesday denying a motion by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to dissolve the temporary restraining order that put the executions on hold. Griffen went farther than just denying the motion: He said its arguments were "categorically false" and said the mot
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, PENN., S.C., OHIO
Oct. 18 TEXAS: "I want to thank Corporal Frazier and his candor in his recollection and reporting of the events surrounding the execution of Licho Escamilla on October 14, 2015. Mrs. James has suffered a terrible, tragic and unnecessary loss during the killing of her husband. This is a loss she will, most likely, never overcome and my heart goes out to her and the children. However, I would like to take exception to how Corporal Frazier recalls the events surrounding the execution. I have no doubt that the motorcycle officers "agreed to not say or do anything when Escamilla's family came out". According to Corporal Frazier, "They avoided eye contact. No one wanted to provoke the family". He goes on to state that "they [Escamilla's family] were losing someone close to them, too and no one was there to condemn the family. They [the officers] were there to condemn the murderer." But, unfortunately, that is not what happened. The unspeakable happened. The laughter ensued. From the officers. Laughter so loud that the family and supporters half a block down could hear. Laughter that seemed to last for ages. The family, friends and supporters could not believe it. The organization "Journey of HopeFrom violence to Healing" were there and, along with all of us, were appalled. I had to hold up a very close friend of the family because she collapsed when the laughter would not stop. This action was not in line with "No one was there to condemn the family. They were there to condemn the murderer". So, Corporal Frazier and all the other officers from Dallas: I can understand why you may want to tell the readers in Dallas your version of what happened. But, please be honest and tell the whole story. Let the population of Dallas hear what actually took place. My sincere thoughts and condolences are with both the James and the Escamilla family, who are the innocent victims in the whole horrible tragedy." Pat Hartwell (source: Dallas Morning News) ** see: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/378/682/201/help-save-wesley-lynn-ruiz/ (source: the petitionsite.com) PENNSYLVANIA: Death row inmates suit to continue A class-action lawsuit by Pennsylvania's 184 death row inmates can continue despite objections from attorneys for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. The Commonwealth Court on Thursday refused to throw out the lawsuit brought by convicted Lehigh Valley mass murderer Michael Eric Ballard and 4 others on behalf of the state's other death row inmates. They claim the Department of Corrections has illegally changed the drugs it uses in lethal injections, which is the method of capital punishment used in Pennsylvania. David Rudovsky, the lawyer for the inmates, say the key issue is whether corrections officials can change the drugs used without action by the General Assembly. The Department of Corrections changed the drugs it plans to use because of difficulties in getting some drugs from manufacturers who have come under fire from death penalty opponents. (source: Associated Press) Candidates for Pennsylvania Superior Court differ on role of the court The 2 candidates for a single spot on the Pennsylvania Superior Court both have years of experience as trial court judges and attorneys to prepare them for service on an appellate court. They are separated, they say, by a difference in judicial philosophy. Judge Emil Giordano, a Republican elected in 2003 to the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, describes himself as a "strict constructionist." "I would follow the black letter of the law," he said in an interview. "I firmly and unequivocally believe that it's the sole function of the Legislature to change the law." By contrast, Judge Alice Beck Dubow, a Democrat elected in 2007 to the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, says that while she respects the limits imposed by the Legislature and the precedent set by the courts, she also believes the courts have a role in reflecting changes in society. "My sense is that he does not want to deviate from the existing law, and I believe that its the court's responsibility to deviate slowly and deliberately so the law reflects changes in society," Judge Dubow said. As an example, Judge Dubow cited a case in which she ruled that a woman who had pleaded guilty should get a new trial after the district attorney threw out charges against other defendants whose cases, like the woman's, involved narcotics officers who were themselves investigated by the federal government. The woman argued that if she had waited to plead guilty, the charges would have been dismissed. "My sense of fairness was, yeah, she deserves a new trial because it was an arbitrary date that she had pleaded guilty," the judge said. The Superior Court reversed the decision, she said. Judge Giordano and Judge Dubow differ, too, when it comes to the issue of the death pena
