[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Jan. 17 JAPAN: Japan is one of the few developed countries to still have the death penalty. Documentary filmmaker Mori Tatsuya looks at the issue of capital punishment and tries to answer the question of why 80% of the Japanese populace supports judicial executions. Choosing Who Lives and Dies In July 2016, Japan was shocked by the stabbing deaths of 19 residents of a disabled care facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Public outrage swelled when a letter surfaced that was written by the perpetrator, a former employee of the facility, shortly before the incident. In this, he brashly declared that killing the mentally disabled helped minimize misery and that his actions were for the good of Japan and world peace. People across Japan condemned the killer for his eugenic thinking, proclaiming that all life has meaning and that no person has the right to choose who should live and who should die. I agree that all human life is precious. It defies being ranked or quantified. Yet, if the public outcry we heard after the Sagamihara murders is to be believed, then I am obliged to point out that Japanese society remains willfully ignorant of the eugenic undertones of capital punishment. The death penalty is the intentional and unnatural taking of human life that a court of law has judged to no longer have meaning or value. In Japan there is broad public support for the system, with more than 80% of citizens approving of judicial executions. What is important to consider here is not that there is capital punishment in Japan, but why so many people in the country avert their eyes to the reality it represents. People, of course, are cognizant that Japan enforces the death penalty. However, they only give it passing recognition. Hardly anyone in their daily lives ever stops to consider how an inmate is actually put to death, what passes through their mind at the end, or how they spend their final days. More significantly, very few people ever contemplate what having the death penalty means to society. Aum Shinrikyo on Death Row For many years my interest in capital punishment was the same as most other Japanese. I felt it was a just and fair punishment for a person who had committed the grave crime of murder. I never questioned why a person who had taken another's life should also die. My confidence began to waver, however, after I interviewed 6 leaders of Aum Shinrikyo sitting on death row while I was shooting a documentary about the cult. As I sat and talked with these individuals the reality that I was speaking with people who were waiting to be killed gradually sank in. Of course, all of us will die someday. Perhaps it will be in an accident, from illness, or simply due to old age. However, these were not to be the fate of the six men I sat speaking to through thick, transparent acrylic panels. These individuals were slated to be legally murdered. Each of the cult leaders I interviewed said they regretted what they had done in the name of religious fanaticism. Many choked back tears, saying that it was only fair when considering how family members of victims must feel that they too should be killed. I met with them many times. We also exchanged letters. When we talked, their words were not always those of regret. There were times when we joked and smiled. When I misunderstood a particular detail of their crime one might shout reproachfully, "It wasn't like that at all, Mori!" In short, these men were normal human beings. In some respects you could even say they were kinder and more genuine and upright than many people I had met. Somehow I could not make sense of it. It is a sin to kill. These men had broken this fundamental human law, and as punishment they would be legally put to death. The logic defied me. I could not understand why they had to die or why society seemed justified in killing them. This experience led me to begin reporting on capital punishment. In my work I interviewed a wide variety of people and pondered countless aspects as I struggled to gain an understanding of the issue. After more than 2 years of reporting, I compiled my experiences and thoughts into the book Shikei (Capital Punishment). Allow me to begin with my conclusion: there is no one overriding, logical argument that justifies the death penalty. Japanese who are in favor of capital punishment like to cite its effectiveness in deterring crime. By this logic, then, one would expect public safety in the 2/3 of the world's nations that have abolished the death penalty to be in decline. The statistics, however, do not clearly bear this out. In fact, sociological research overwhelmingly shows the death penalty serves no significant function as a crime deterrent. Many advocates of abolishing capital punishment point to the risk posed by false convictions. Proponents of the system, however, argue that such risks exist for all forms of
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, VA., GA., USA
Jan. 17 TEXASbook review Grace and Justice on Death Row: The Race Against Time and Texas to Free an Innocent Man, Reviewed The new book from Alexandria-based lawyer Brian W. Stolarz chronicles the long road to getting an innocent man off death row. According to Amnesty International, the death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crimes, and it claims innocent lives. Its research shows that 140 people have been released from death rows in the U.S. due to evidence of wrongful conviction since 1973, and the 14 states without capital punishment have homicide rates at or below the national rate. Harris County, Texas, leads the nation in death row executions, according to The Death Penalty Information Center, though capital punishment there is on the decline. Still, since 2010, 99.5 % of U.S. counties sentenced fewer people to die than Harris County. Alexandria-based lawyer Brian W. Stolarz was part of the legal team that got the most recent death row inmate in Harris County, Alfred Dewayne Brown, exonerated. And his new book, Grace and Justice on Death Row, walks readers through a detailed account of the 2003 double homicide for which Brown was sentenced to die - even though he wasn't even present at the crime scene. Stolarz, a self-avowed Catholic, shines a spotlight on the injustices that landed Brown in prison and nearly took his life, including witness harassment, prosecutorial misconduct, withheld evidence, a now-defunct Grand Jury selection system that reeked of conflicts, and the disturbingly low wages paid to lawyers who defend the poor. The book begins with the events of the April 2003 shooting - offering a detailed account of Brown's crime-ridden neighborhood and some of its inhabitants trying to survive by working for minimum wage, robbing stores, and dealing drugs. From the beginning, it's clear Brown is innocent, but Stolarz takes the reader on an interesting and infuriating ride toward his incarceration. Brown's girlfriend says he was at her house at the time of the shooting, but she changes her story after the prosecution threatens her and locks her up on trumped-up perjury charges. Other supposed friends of Brown throw him under the bus for various reasons, including fear of their own incarceration and promises of reward money. Though Brown is ultimately determined to have mental disabilities, a supposed "expert" manipulates mental health assessment data to say what the prosecutors want to hear. No spoilers here about how the case goes wrong and is eventually righted - Brown was held on death row until June 8, 2015 - but it's worth noting that Stolarz includes some chilling comments about capital punishment from the late Antonin Scalia, including this one: "One cannot have a system of criminal punishment without accepting the possibility that someone will be punished mistakenly. That is a truism, not a revelation." But the book has its faults. It loses some steam when Stolarz writes about his own life, his Catholicism, and superfluous references to how horrible he's feeling during the years he works on the writ of habeas corpus - the process by which Brown is eventually exonerated. You sometimes get the impression that Brown's freedom is more about Stolarz than Brown, and the book suffers from too much self-congratulating. There's also a dizzying telling and re-telling of what actually happened at the crime scene. It all gets a bit complicated and muddy, but this storytelling flaw doubles as a strength in light of the morass of a justice system that appears to be in place in Texas. If you get lost in the sequence of events - and the details surrounding the multiple miscarriages of justice - it's possible the witnesses, the families of the victims, and the jury were likewise mired in confusion and obfuscation. Stolarz cites some star reportage by Lisa Falkenberg of the Houston Chronicle, who won a Pulitzer for her work on Brown's case. And the book's final plea to abolish the death penalty - or at least to establish reforms in all states that require DNA evidence linking the accused to the crime - seems like a no-brainer. Stolarz also makes a compelling argument for increased funding for attorneys who defend the poor, an improved social service system for death row exonerees, and disbarment and criminal investigation for prosecutors who deliberately withhold evidence in death row cases, as happened in Brown's case. (source: washingtoncitypaper.com) VIRGINIAimpending execution Gov. McAuliffe declines clemency for Ricky Gray, who is set to be executed Wednesday Governor Terry McAuliffe today declined to grant clemency for Ricky Gray, who will die by injection Wednesday night at the Greensville Correctional Center for the capital murders of 2 young sisters 11 years ago unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in. "I have decided not to intervene in this case. Mr. Gray was convicted in a fair
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Jan. 17 SAUDI ARABIAexecution Saudi carries out first death sentence of 2017 Kingdom puts prisoner to death for shooting dead another Saudi in 1st of year by one of world's most prolific executioners. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most prolific executioners, on Tuesday carried out its 1st death sentence of the year, after more than 150 in 2016. Authorities put Mamdouh al Anzi to death following his conviction for shooting dead another Saudi in a dispute, the interior ministry said. He was executed in Arar, a city near Iraq. Beheading with a sword is the most common form of execution in the kingdom. According to an AFP tally based on official announcements, Saudi Arabia executed 153 locals and foreigners last year under its Islamic legal code, down slightly from the previous year. Rights group Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia carried out at least 158 death sentences in 2015, coming 3rd after Iran and Pakistan. Amnesty's figures do not include secretive China. Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom but the government says the death penalty is a deterrent. (source: middle-east-online.com) UNITED KINGDOM/BAHRAIN: 3 executed in Bahrain - Boris Johnson's Bahrain response 'woefully inadequate' International human rights organization Reprieve has criticised the response of the UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, to Bahrain's execution this morning of 3 men. The 3 men, Ali Al-Singace (21), Abbas Al-Samea (27) and Sami Mushaima (42), were executed by firing squad after being convicted on the basis of forced 'confessions'. A statement from the Foreign Secretary did not confirm whether the Government took steps to prevent the executions. The statement also did not address concerns, raised by Reprieve, over the risk of UK complicity in the executions and other abuses such as torture. Mr Johnson said: "The UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty, and it is our longstanding position to oppose capital sentences in all circumstances. The Bahraini authorities are fully aware of our position and I have raised the issue with the Bahraini Government." The UK Foreign Office has spent over 5 million pounds in aid money on reforming Bahrain's human rights record since protests swept the Gulf kingdom in 2011. Reprieve has gathered information that suggests the assistance programme failed to protect the 3 men from torture. Documents obtained by Reprieve, and reported in the Observer today, reveal that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons helped plan inspections of custody facilities in Bahrain; including the police station where all 3 men were tortured. Their abuse continued after inspections took place. The 6-page inspection report failed to mention their allegations of torture. The FCO has also funded a UK state-owned body, NI-CO, to train 2 oversight institutions in Bahrain, an Ombudsman and a Special Investigations Unit. Both bodies rejected Mr al-Samea's complaint about his torture, without conducting a proper investigation. The 3 men are the first people executed in Bahrain since 2010, and the 1st Bahrainis executed since 1996. There are now concerns about 2 other men on Bahrain's death row who are also at imminent risk of execution, Mohammed Ramadan and Husain Moosa. Both say they were tortured into providing false confessions at the same police station as the 3 men who were executed today. Commenting, Maya Foa, a director of Reprieve, said: "The UK is one of Bahrain's biggest backers - last year Boris Johnson's Department oversaw 2m pounds of support to the Kingdom's prisons and wider criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the Bahraini bodies trained by the UK repeatedly failed to properly investigate appalling torture allegations lodged by the men who were executed today. Given this fact - and the grave miscarriages of justice that have taken place today - the Foreign Secretary's statement is woefully inadequate. It fails even to confirm whether HMG had opposed the imminent executions during recent high level meetings with Bahraini officials. "The Government should immediately suspend its involvement with Bahrain's criminal justice system and Ministry of Interior, and make clear to the Kingdom's leaders that the UK unequivocally condemns its actions." (source: reprieve.org.uk) PHILIPPINES: Some Duterte allies also against death penalty: Lagman Not everyone in President Rodrigo Duterte's camp is backing his proposal to revive the death penalty. House opposition leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman today revealed some administration stalwarts are among those opposed to the death penalty bill, with as many as 50 lawmakers ready to debate the bill. "The debates will be very extensive particularly from those who are going to interpellate. I think we can produce even 50 interpellators. Matagal yun pero you know the leadership can always find ways
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news---worldwide
Jan. 17 NIGERIA: The Lagos State anti-kidnapping law It is commendable that in a bid to curb the rising wave of kidnappings in the state, the Lagos State House of Assembly has sent a bill against the menace to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for assent and passage into law. To underscore the inhumanity of those who perpetrate the crime, "A Bill for a Law to provide for the Prohibition of the act of kidnapping and other connected Purposes," understandably proposes the death penalty for offenders whose captive (s) died in their custody and a life sentence for those whose victims came out alive. In the light of an upsurge in this heinous crime, the Lagos State House of Assembly deserves praise for taking this action against such a murderous scourge as kidnapping. It is also time the Federal Government took a decisive action in tandem with the three states -Anambra, Delta and Lagos - that have enacted or are in the process of passing specific laws to deal with abductions. In October last year, kidnappers struck at the Lagos State Model College in Epe and took away six persons, made up of staff and students. They were released after days in captivity upon payment of a ransom. The trauma of that violent encounter still lingers among all persons. Before then, 4 residents of Lekki Gardens in Isheri were violently abducted and taken to the creeks. They were also later released, perhaps after the abductors had received a ransom. Indeed, there were other cases of kidnappings which did not catch the big headlines in Lagos and across the country. In some cases, the kidnappers would collect the ransom after killing their victims and many victims have also been known to suffer heart failure during the encounters. Their bodies are usually buried in shallow graves by the criminals. Those who are lucky to return from the captivity of kidnappers tell horrendous stories of torture, starvation and humiliation. In a few cases, the police were able to arrest the criminals. Last week over half a dozen civic groups in Lagos called on the state government to frontally confront kidnapping. In their view, the era of denial was over. They listed the cases of different persons from 2012 who had been kidnapped in Lagos and concluded that the government was not willing to publicly acknowledge the problem. Recently, indeed, on Friday, January 13, 2017, 5 persons, 3 students and 2 members of staff of Turkish International School Isheri, a border town between Lagos and Ogun states, were kidnapped by armed men. In most, if not all the cases, these criminals demand a ransom which loved ones manage to raise and pay. So, for the kidnappers, it is an avenue to get quick wealth and, therefore, an attractive venture. The scourge shot up in the last 10 odd years as kidnappers who called themselves militants picked up foreigners, particularly in the Niger Delta, and asked for huge sums of money. To avoid the death of victims, families and companies as well as governments often paid the ransom. Different groups and persons then took to the nefarious trade and made a profession of it. In Delta State, the reign of the notorious Kokori-born Kelvin Oniara, the kingpin of kidnappings in that region was brought to an end in 2013 when he was arrested by men of the State Security Service in Port Harcourt. He and some members of his gang are currently facing trial in Abuja for the abduction of 1-time Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chudi Nwike, Chief Michael Ozekhome (SAN) and Professor Hope Eghagha (then Commissioner for Higher Education, Delta State). Sadly, Dr. Nwike was killed and his body abandoned on a roadside near Agbor. Also in 2013, another kingpin who operated between Ghana and Lagos, Benjamin Osinachi, (aka China) met his waterloo in the hands of the Special Anti-robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police, after years of terrorising innocent families through kidnapping. Anambra State took the special step of demolishing any house that was used as a hideout or safe haven by kidnappers. The truth, therefore, is that kidnapping is now a national problem. It requires concerted efforts of all stakeholders in Nigeria and sometimes across the border. This is where intelligence gathering in a proactive manner becomes crucial. The criminals involved use their mobile phones to make calls before, during and after kidnapping their victims. A synergy between the Nigeria Police and the network providers should provide a platform to track the scoundrels. The Federal Government should play a definite and coordinating role in this regard. An effective intelligence structure should be created in order to either nip the crime in the bud or arrest perpetrators of the crime. The banks also have a role to play. Some of the huge ransoms paid by victims usually end up in the banks. Through proper monitoring, banks should be able to report to the appropriate authorities if a customer starts
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----NEB., UTAH, WASH., USA
Jan. 17 NEBRASKA: Lotter challenging Nebraska 3-judge method on death penalty A man convicted in the murder case that inspired the 1999 movie "Boys Don't Cry" has joined a fellow death-row inmate in challenging Nebraska's 3-judge method for determining death sentences. Attorneys for John Lotter argue that he had a right to have jurors, not judges, weigh his fate when he was sentenced to death in 1996. The attorneys cite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that struck down Florida's death-penalty process, saying it gave too much power to judges to make the ultimate decision. After that ruling, Delaware's high court followed suit and threw out that state's death penalty-determining method. Lotter was condemned for his role in the 1993 killings of Teena Brandon, a 21-year-old woman who lived briefly as a man, and 2 witnesses, Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine, at a rural Humboldt farmhouse. A similar appeal has been filed on behalf of Jeffrey Hessler, convicted in the 2003 rape and murder of 15-year-old Gering newspaper carrier Heather Guerrero. The Nebraska attorney general's office has filed motions arguing that Nebraska's sentencing scheme allows jury participation and is not identical to the one struck down in Florida. In Nebraska, when a defendant is convicted in a death penalty case, the jury that decided guilt also decides whether aggravating factors exist to justify the defendant's execution. If the jury finds such, a 3-judge panel is convened to determine whether the aggravating factors outweigh any mitigating factors in the defendant's favor. The 3 judges also must determine if the death sentence is warranted and, if so, whether it is proportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases. The 3 judges ultimately determine whether the defendant gets death or life in prison. Attorney Jerry Soucie, who has represented several Nebraska death-row inmates, said Friday that he expects the state's other 8 death-row inmates to challenge Nebraska's method, too. "This issue has been floating around a long time," Soucie said. (source: Associated Press) UTAH: Death penalty bills to return to the Utah State Legislature Bills for and against the death penalty are expected to be debated in the 2017 session of the Utah State Legislature. Capital punishment bills are being considered on the 40th anniversary of Gary Gilmore's execution. The Utah inmate was the f1st to be executed following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reinstated the death penalty. Gilmore was executed by firing squad. Death penalty supporters and opponents are expected to be back on Utah's Capitol Hill to argue for bills. "I feel very compelled that I have to do this," said Randy Gardner, the brother of condemned killer Ronnie Lee Gardner, who was the last man to be executed in Utah (who also died by firing squad). Randy Gardner spoke to FOX 13 from Washington, D.C. where he was participating in protests against capital punishment. He said he would be pushing the Utah State Legislature to favor a repeal of the death penalty. "I say to my kids, 'Why do we kill people to show people that killing is wrong?' I believe it makes murderers out of us," he said. There are 9 people on Utah's death row. The state has firing squad as a method of execution, if lethal injection is not available. Right now, the Utah Department of Corrections has said it does not have the ability to carry out a lethal injection execution. Lawmakers spent the summer discussing the cost of implementing the death penalty, versus life in prison without the possibility of parole. Last year, a bill to repeal the death penalty failed on the last day of the legislative session when the House wouldn't consider the bill. It is unknown who will run a repeal bill this year, but death penalty opponents said they are planning for one to be filed. Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, said the death penalty serves as a deterrent and gives prosecutors bargaining power. He is running a bill that would mandate that anyone convicted of targeting and killing a law enforcement official face a capital offense. "This is, 'I'm going to kill a cop.' Mandatory death penalty," Rep. Ray said in an interview Monday with FOX 13. "Prosecutors have to file it." Rep. Ray acknowledged he expected prosecutors to oppose his bill, but believed it was important to have "teeth" in the law and protect police officers, firefighters and paramedics. "They don't like being told what to do," he said. "It's very difficult, very expensive - according to them - to prosecute death penalty. I think you have to look at the overall act and make the punishment match." (source: Fox News) * Gilmore Execution Sees Death Penalty Reinstated On 17th January 1977, Gary Gilmore became the 1st person to be executed in the United States in almost 10 years. His death by firing squad marked the end of a ban on the death
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----VA., N.C., FLA., OHIO
Jan. 17 VIRGINIAimpending execution Death row inmate argues for firing squad days before lethal injection date You may not care how a killer is killed. But what if there was a way to execute convicted murderers on death row with a cheaper and more effective alternative than lethal injection? According to convicted murder Ricky Gray's attorneys, there is. The solution: a firing squad. "[There is] a lot of support for the notion that it is more humane, and less painful than the lethal injection protocols, which we've seen time and again have resulted in botched executions all across the country," one of Gray's attorneys, Lisa Fried told reporters last week. Gray was convicted of murdering Cox High School homecoming queen Kathy Grabinsky Harvey, her husband and their 2 young girls in their Richmond home over a decade ago. Gray was sentenced to death for the crimes. His co-defendant, Ray Dandridge, was sentenced to life without parole by jurors. "I've stolen something from the world," Gray says in a recorded YouTube video, speaking out publicly for the 1st time. "It's never left my mind, because I understand exactly what I took from the world by looking at my 2 sisters." On Wednesday, Gray will become the 112th person executed by the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court. "I'm sorry they had to be a victim of my despair," Gray continues in the video. "I robbed them of a lifelong supply of joy." Recently, Gray's attorneys argued for execution by firing squad, but the request was denied by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, Gray is facing death by lethal injection - a controversial drug cocktail which Gray's attorneys say is "chemical torture". Court records say the state spent over $66,000 dollars to not only acquire the hard-to-get drugs, but to also help hide the identity of the pharmaceutical companies involved. Additionally, Gray's attorney cite sources which show lethal injection has a 7 % botched execution rate, the highest out of any execution option. The same sources show firing squads have a zero % botched execution rate. Now, only the Supreme Court or the Governor remain able to postpone Wednesday night's execution. In an odd procedural circumstance, Gray's attorneys say his lawsuit alleging that lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment is still pending in court. The Virginia Department of Corrections is supposed to respond to his allegations by January 24, 6 days after Gray's scheduled execution. "If [he] is executed on [Wednesday], the method of execution will be used without the court ever resolving whether Gray's allegations that it is a cruel and unusual punishment are true," Rob Lee, one of Gray's attorneys, told News 3 on Monday. In the past, Virginia governors have not stepped in until all court proceedings are resolve, and Governor McAuliffe is likely to follow this practice. (source: WTKR news) Years after slayings, killer of Va. family faces execution The 2006 murders of a well-known Richmond couple and their young daughters as they were preparing to host a New Year's party sent shock waves through Virginia's capital city. More than 11 years later, some hope the execution of a man convicted in their deaths will close a painful chapter of this community's history. "I do not think we should be saddled with the cost of keeping that heinous murderer alive," said Steve Tarrant, who lived near the slain family and still gets emotional when he talks about watching their bodies being carried out of their home. "I think his execution will help effect a closure," the 76-year-old said. (source: Associated Press) NORTH CAROLINA: There is no true justice in death penalty On Jan. 10, self-avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof, who was convicted of the murder of 9 African-Americans while they prayed, was sentenced to death. His sentence should come as no surprise to those familiar with the overwhelming amount of polling data showing majority support for the death penalty. One need look no further than the comments section of any article on the Dylann Roof saga to see that support for the ultimate criminal punishment is alive and well. Our uniquely American affinity for the death penalty is tragic for the simple reason that capital punishment is both morally and intellectually indefensible. When subjected to any level of academic scrutiny, the common arguments in support of the death penalty: deterrence, fairness and closure for victims' families, quickly crumble. Now more than ever, on the heels of what many would call a model death sentence, it is worth examining the sad fact that there is no logical argument in support of capital punishment. The only argument that attempts to claim a measurable societal benefit to retaining the death penalty goes as follows: the death penalty should be kept
