[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, N.H., PENN., DEL., ALA., MISS.
May 16 TEXASfilm review ‘Trial by Fire’ Review: A Strong Case Against the Death Penalty Like the 1995 picture “Dead Man Walking,” “Trial by Fire” was created by filmmakers who believe that capital punishment is barbaric both as policy and in practice. This fact-based film takes the argument a step further in its details: While “Walking” was about a confessed killer who sought spiritual redemption, “Trial by Fire” details the state killing of a man many believe to have been innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. The man was Cameron Todd Willingham, who was found guilty of killing his 3 daughters by arson in 1991. Some time before his execution in 2004, various authorities were presented with evidence that the fire had not been set by Willingham and that his protests of innocence were sincere. Directed by Edward Zwick (“Glory,” “The Last Samurai,” and more recently, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”) from a script by Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”), the movie is based on a New Yorker article by David Grann. The story as told by Grann is detailed and linear, in a prose style both spare and refined. The dramatization hems and haws, incorporating flashbacks, fantasy sequences and other features intended to add intrigue to the narrative and depth to the characterizations. They wind up feeling like window-dressing, though. Expertly acted throughout — Jack O’Connell does his level best to make Willingham more than the standard-issue Hollywood Complex Roughneck, while Laura Dern, as a prison pen pal who becomes a defense ally, is a reliably elevating presence — the movie’s raw facts are sufficient to rouse viewer indignation. But the material arguably calls for a more proactively provocative approach. Where are old-school cinematic firebrands like Sam Fuller or Phil Karlson when you need them? Trial by Fire DirectorEdward Zwick WriterGeoffrey Fletcher StarsLaura Dern, Jack O'Connell, Emily Meade, Jade Pettyjohn, Jeff Perry RatingR Running Time2h 7m (source: New York Times) NEW HAMPSHIRE: Faith-based reasons to repeal the death penalty The N.H. Council of Churches is a body of many diverse denominations, ranging from Protestant to Orthodox to Unitarian Universalist. All these denominations regard the use of capital punishment as unacceptable and support its repeal. We thank our legislators who made a clear, bipartisan vote to repeal the death penalty. Lawmakers voted out of their deeply held spiritual beliefs, so we urge them to keep the faith and override the veto of House Bill 455. That bipartisan faith vote frequently cites three reasons to oppose the death penalty: First, in Genesis 1:26, we read, “God said, ‘Let us make (humanity) in our image, after our likeness.’” Christians believe every human life is sacred, even when that person denies the dignity of others. We recognize that the sacredness of life is a gift from God, neither earned through good behavior nor lost through heinous acts. Second, that sacred dignity is in every person equally since all people have the same divine Creator. We want to believe that here we serve justice impartially and equally. Unfortunately Christians know that we make mistakes and poor decisions. We cannot leave choices about life and death to fallible justice systems administered by error-prone humans. Finally, God can redeem any person, no matter their past, and bring them to the forgiveness and mercy. The death penalty closes off the possibility of God’s redemption through our presumption that we know better than God. For these reasons and more, we urge our legislators to cast a faith-filled, bipartisan vote to bring to an end the death penalty in our state. The Rev. JASON WELLS Pembroke (The writer is executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches.) (source: Letter to the Editor, Concord Monitor) PENNSYLVANIA: Death row inmate headed to evidentiary hearing in 2020 The defense attorney for convicted killer and death row inmate Brentt M. Sherwood said he is ready for appeal for a Post Conviction Relief Act petition to proceed. Defense attorney Edward J. Rymsza and attorney William Ross Stoycos, a senior deputy through the state Attorney General's office, appeared in front of Senior Judge Harold F. Woelfel Jr. on Wednesday afternoon in Northumberland County Court. An evidentiary hearing is also scheduled for Feb 10, 2010. The defense is "absolutely" ready, said Rymsza. Sherwood, 39, was convicted 12 years ago of beating his 4½-year-old stepdaughter to death. Sherwood, a former Northumberland resident, was sentenced to death in May 2007 after a Northumberland County jury convicted him of 1st-degree murder in the December 2004 beating death of his 4½-year-old stepdaughter, Marlee Reed. During the trial, Sherwood admitted punching and kicking the child repeatedly in their Northumberland home, but claimed he was high on co
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TENN., ARK., WYO., USA
May 16 TENNESSEEimpending execution Memphis death row inmate Donnie Johnson scheduled to be executed Thursday Donnie Johnson, a convicted killer from Memphis who has been on death row for 34 years, is scheduled to be executed on Thursday. Johnson has since been moved to death watch, and is under 24-hour observation at Riverbend Prison in Nashville. His execution is scheduled for 7 p.m. In October 1985, Johnson, 68, was convicted of murdering his wife Connie Johnson in 1984 by suffocating her in a Memphis camping center that he managed and leaving the body in a van in the Mall of Memphis parking lot. He initially blamed the murder on a work-release inmate who confessed to helping dispose of the body and was granted immunity for testifying against Johnson, according to court documents. Earlier this week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he would not step in to stop the scheduled execution after supporters, including Johnson’s stepdaughter, made a plea for clemency. According to a petition sent to Lee on, Johnson became a Seventh Day Adventist Church elder while in prison who was known for ministering to other prisoners. Johnson’s clemency petition also included, a plea from Cynthia Vaughn, the daughter of the woman Johnson was convicted of killing. Vaughn is also Johnson’s stepdaughter. The petition quotes from Vaughn’s own letter to the governor in which she described visiting Johnson in prison in 2012 after not seeing him since she was a little girl. Vaughn said she vented 3 decades of anger and pain on Johnson, telling him how it felt not to have her mother around when she graduated from high school, got married and had a baby. “The next thing that came out of my mouth changed my life forever,” she wrote. “I looked at him, told him I couldn’t keep hating him because it was doing nothing but killing me instead of him, and then I said, ‘I forgive you.’” The petition made no claim of innocence, instead saying Johnson was “justly convicted of the murder of his wife.” It also detailed the abuse Johnson suffered as a child at the hands of his own stepfather and later in juvenile detention centers, but it says Johnson “does not place blame for his failure of character on anyone but himself.” The petition includes excerpts from other letters sent to the governor by people who came to know Johnson through their prison ministry, volunteer work, mentoring and correspondence. “These friends and supporters are adamant that Don’s faith is strong, and his reformation is real,” it reads. Many of the excerpts mention Johnson’s ministry to other prisoners. He also has a ministry outside of prison through a radio and Internet show that plays recordings he has made on Sunday mornings on WNAH-1360 AM, according to the petition. However, some members of the victim’s family, including Johnson’s estranged son, Jason Johnson, wanted the execution to proceed. Jason was 4 when his mother was killed. His sister was 7. According to articles, Jason Johnson made his case to Gov. Lee, saying, “If he found redemption, that doesn’t matter. That’s between him and God. His forgiveness is to come from the Lord and his redemption is to come from the Lord, not the government. The Bible also says, ‘An eye for an eye.’” He said he would be there at his father’s execution, not because he wanted to see him die. “Just to see my family actually have some closure,” he told the Tennessean. Johnson chose not to select a final meal and will be served the same food served to the rest of the inmates at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections. (source: WREG news) *** Protesters want Gov. Lee to pray with inmate before execution A group of protesters marched to the Tennessee Capitol Wednesday to ask Governor Bill Lee to pray with an inmate who’s scheduled to be put to death. The governor confirmed Tuesday that he would not intervene in the execution of Donnie Johnson. Protesters have asked Lee to pray with Johnson before he's scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday. The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it would not halt the execution, declining to take up a legal appeal that questioned the 3 drugs used in Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol. Johnson was sentenced to death for the 1984 murder of his wife, Connie Johnson. He recently penned a letter to his family , asking for their forgiveness. (source: WTVF news) *** A look at the history of executions in Tennessee Convicted killer Don Johnson is scheduled to be executed Thursday night in Nashville. The 68-year-old Memphis man is 1 of almost 60 men and women sitting on Tennessee's death row. Johnson is the 1st of several inmates who are scheduled to be executed in the Volunteer state over the next 12 months. While many states have slowed down or delayed setting execution dates because of concerns ab
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
May 16 PHILIPPINES: Sotto: Death penalty bill may be marked priority, but passage is uncertain Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Thursday that the proposal to reinstatement death penalty on high level drug trafficking crime may be marked as priority in the coming 18th Congress, but stressed this would not automatically mean passage through the Senate. Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sotto said: “In the 18th Congress, we will ask [Sen. Manny] Pacquiao if it’s still priority to him.” “In the new Senate, there’s a possibility of 13 [votes],” Sotto added. The death penalty has a twisting past in the Philippines, having been outlawed in 1987, reinstated 6 years later and then abolished again in 2006. A capital punishment bill that passed the House in 2017 allowed execution in cases where suspects were caught with 500 grams (about 18 ounces) of marijuana, or 10 grams of cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. 18th Congress composition Of the handful in the Senate minority bloc, the terms of Aquino and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV will end on June 30. The latest partial, unofficial tally of the 2019 election available Thursday noon showed that nine of the 13 candidates fielded by administration backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago slate made it to the Magic 12. Included in the winners’ circle are President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies, his former top cop Ronald Dela Rosa, former political adviser Francis Tolentino and former special assistant Christopher “Bong” Go. This raised fears that the Senate would lose its independence come the start of the 18th Congress, and the immediate passage of bills that Duterte wants, such as the reinstatement of death penalty and shift to federalism. But Sotto said that even if the 18th Congress would mark the death penalty bill as a priority measure, it would not mean its passage. He recalled that the 17th Congress had “long discussions” over the matter. Sotto said that if the bill would remain focused on reinstating the capital punishment on high level drug trafficking, there is possibility that it would hurdle the Senate. But if crimes punishable by reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment would be included in the proposed measure, the number of vote for its passage would dwindle, Sotto added. The Senate president also said: “I think what will be passed by the Senate would be based on its merits, not because it’s being endorsed by the president or not being endorsed.” An independent, transparent Senate Sotto also said that the leadership of the Senate is not from the same party of the president. “I would like to maintain an independent, sincere, transparent Senate.” He also allayed fears that with incoming senators having close ties to the president, this would weigh on the checks and balances of the government. “Outright, I’m saying no. It won’t happen,” Sotto added. The Malacañang earlier allayed fears of the Senate losing its indepedence as it expressed hope that the incoming senators, including former officials of the Duterte administration, to be independent and rise above partisanship when tackling issues involving national interest. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Tuesday that Senate history showed that the members of its chamber have been “independent ever since.” "We expect them (senators) to be fealty to the duties imposed to them by the Constitution and the laws. They have to support the president when the agenda of the president is for the good of the people and they will have to oppose it if they feel in their conscience that it ran counter to the interest of the nation," he added. (source: Philippine Star) *** Architect of Philippines Drug War Elected to Senate on Death Penalty Platform A slate of allies of far-right President Rodrigo Duterte were elected to the Philippines Senate in the country’s midterm elections on May 13. These include former police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa—the man who strategized the nation’s ongoing murderous drug war. An estimated 27,000 people have been killed without trial since 2016. Dela Rosa, the former chief of the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Correction, raked in the 5th-most votes of any senatorial candidate (more than 18 million) on a draconian platform that promises to further escalate the drug war. In 2018, Dela Rosa campaigned on prioritizing the death penalty for anyone involved with drugs. “Everything pertaining to drugs, we have to end them,” said Dela Rosa in a televised interview. “I also want to end the problem with drugs. It should be that strict when it comes to drugs.” In the final weeks of his campaign, Dela Rosa made use of a brutal rape-murder to further his anti-drug rhetoric. “Can a criminal under the influence of illegal drugs do that? If he wasn’t involved with drugs, he won’t be able to do that. That’s why drug traffickers have to be hanged,” he sai
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----ALABAMA
May 16 ALABAMAimpending execution Defense: Alabama governor denies reprieve before execution Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey refused a reprieve for an inmate set for execution Thursday night for a quadruple killing that occurred after a dispute over a pickup truck, the prisoner's lawyer said. The decision apparently cleared the way for Michael Brandon Samra to be put to death by lethal injection since the defense said it doesn't plan to file last-minute appeals. A lawyer for Samra, Steven Sears, said he received the denial from Gov. Ivey's office about eight hours before execution, set for a state prison in Atmore. Ivey's staff did not respond to an email seeking comment. Samra was convicted of capital murder in the killing of two adults and two young girls near Birmingham in 1997. Evidence showed the slayings stemmed from a friend's argument with his father over a pickup truck. The clemency request highlighted that Samra, 41, was only 19 at the time of the killings. Samra and a friend, Mark Duke, were convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Duke's father, the father's girlfriend and the woman's two elementary-age daughters in 1997. The two adults were shot and the children had their throats slit. Evidence showed Duke planned the killings because he was angry that his father wouldn't let him use his pickup. Duke and Samra were both originally convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, but Duke's sentence was overturned because he was 16 at the time of the killings and the Supreme Court later banned executing inmates younger than 18 at the time of their crimes. Samra was 19 at the time and asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution while the Kentucky Supreme Court considers whether anyone younger than 21 at the time of a crime should be put to death, but the justices refused . The request for a gubernatorial reprieve was based on similar grounds. It also said Duke was more to blame for the killings than Samra. Court documents show Duke and Samra killed the four at a home in Pelham, a Birmingham suburb, on March 23, 1997. The day before, Mark Duke and his father, Randy Duke, got into a heated argument over the man's refusal to let the son borrow his truck. After enlisting friends to help, Mark Duke killed his father with a gunshot to the face and Samra shot the man's girlfriend, Dedra Mims Hunt, who survived and fled to another part of the house. Mark Duke found the woman in a bathroom and shot her, court documents show. Out of bullets, he then used a knife to slit the throat of the woman's 6-year-old daughter, Chelisa Hunt. Samra cut the throat of the woman's 7-year-old daughter, Chelsea Hunt, as she begged for mercy while Duke held the child down. In a letter to the governor seeking mercy for the inmate, Samra's lawyer said his client confessed to the slayings, expressed remorse and participated only at Mark Duke's request. Two other men who were teenage friends of Samra and Mark Duke at the time of the killings served prison sentences for lesser roles. David Layne Collums and Michael Lafayette Ellison, both now 39, were accused of helping plan and cover-up the killings. Another execution is scheduled Thursday in Tennessee , that of 68-year-old Don Johnson, who was condemned to die for the 1984 suffocation of his wife. (source: Associated Press) ___ A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----ALA., TENN., USA
May 16 ALABAMAexecution Alabama executes Michael Samra, convicted of killing 4 in 1997 An Alabama death row inmate was executed by lethal injection Thursday night, more than 22 years after the quadruple slaying of a family in Pelham. Michael Brandon Samra, 42, was executed at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. The Alabama Supreme Court set his execution date in April. Samra was 19 when he and his co-defendant, then 16-year-old Mark Anthony Duke, were charged with killing Mark Duke’s father Randy Duke, his fiancée Dedra Mims Hunt, and her 2 daughters, 6-year-old Chelisa Nicole Hunt and 7-year-old Chelsea Marie Hunt. Samra was convicted of capital murder in 1998 after confessing, and was sentenced to death for his role in the killings. The curtains opened to the execution chamber at approximately 7:09 p.m. When approached by the warden, Samra smiled. His last words were a prayer. “I would like to thank Jesus for everything he’s done for me,” he said. “I want to thank Jesus for shedding his blood for my sins. Thank you for your grace Jesus, amen.” Samra lied on the gurney with his eyes open, facing the witness room that contained his 2 attorneys, his spiritual adviser, and members of the media. At 7:14 p.m., his eyes closed. 1 minute later, his chest heaved 3 times. His breathing appeared labored for several minutes. Samra did not respond to a consciousness check, performed by a corrections officer at 7:17 p.m. 2 minutes later, he stretched both hands and slightly raised his left arm, then curled his fingers and dropped his arm. The curtain to the chamber closed at 7:26 p.m. The official time of death was 7:33 p.m., according to prison officials. Samra’s attorneys appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing his age at the time of the 1997 slaying should prohibit him from being executed, but the nation’s highest court ruled Tuesday they would not review the case and would not stay Samra’s execution. Gov. Kay Ivey also refused a reprieve for Samra, the prisoner’s lawyer said. One of his attorneys, Steven Sears, said he received the denial from Ivey’s office about eight hours before the execution. Following the execution, Ivey released a statement: “For more than 20 years, the loved ones of Randy, Dedra and the 2 young daughters Chelisa and Chelsea have mourned an unbearable and unimaginable loss. Four lives were brutally taken far too soon because of the malicious, intentional and planned-out murders by Michael Brandon Samra. “Alabama will not stand for the loss of life in our state, and with this heinous crime, we must respond with punishment. These four victims deserved a future, and Mr. Samra took that opportunity away from them and did so with no sense of remorse. This evening justice has been delivered to the loved ones of these victims, and it signals that Alabama does not tolerate murderous acts of any nature. “After careful consideration of the horrendous nature of the crime, the jury’s decision and all factors surrounding the case, the state of Alabama carried out Mr. Samra’s sentence this evening. Although this can never recover the lives lost, I pray that their loved ones can finally find a sense of peace.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement following the execution, detailing the crime. He added, “Randy Duke was shot in the head. Dedra Hunt was shot multiple times as she attempted to flee with one of her daughters. Samra and Duke then proceeded to kill both of the young girls, cutting their throats. Samra was convicted of capital murder in 1998 and received his just punishment: a sentence of death. After too many years of delay, justice has finally been served. Tonight, we pray for the victims and for their families, that they might find peace and closure.” Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn spoke after the execution and read a statement from the Mims and Hunt family. “This has been a painful journey. Today justice has been carried out,” it said. The statement also included thanks for all police and investigative agencies who worked on the case. “We ask that you keep all families involved in your prayers,” the statement said. Dedra Mims Hunt and her daughters, Chelsea and Chelisa Hunt, were slain on March 22, 1997. Thursday, one of their killers is set to die. Dunn did not give any reasons for the hour delay, and said to his knowledge there were no problems preparing the inmate for the procedure. Wednesday, Samra was visited by six friends, two attorneys, and his spiritual adviser. He also made a phone call to his father. Thursday, he was again visited by six friends and his spiritual adviser. Samra did not eat breakfast Thursday and did not request a last meal. He did not have any special requests. 6 witnesses from the victims’ families witnessed the execution, along with 2 attorneys from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. The cri
