death penalty

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New Death Sentences Hit 35-Year Low

Just 78 sentenced this year: new report

(Newser) - The number of death sentences handed down this year dropped 30% compared to last, hitting the lowest level in 35 years, according to a new report. Just 78 people were sentenced to death this year—marking "the first time we've had fewer than 100 new death sentences in...

Troy Davis' Sister, Martina Davis-Correia, Dies
 Troy Davis' Sister Dies 
obituary
Dec 2, 2011 6:32 AM CST

Troy Davis' Sister Dies

Martina Davis-Correia spread word about his case between cancer treatments

(Newser) - Martina Davis-Correia died yesterday after a long battle with breast cancer—much of which coincided with her battle on behalf of her brother, controversial death row inmate Troy Davis, who was put to death in September . Davis-Correia, 42, had campaigned for Troy, delivering speeches and attending rallies in between her...

Turkey Pardon as Barbaric as Death Penalty

Thanksgiving tradition a reminder of 'arbitrary' punishment: Justin Smith

(Newser) - On the surface, the annual presidential pardon of a turkey may be all in fun, but it’s also a disturbing reminder of the continued existence of the death penalty in this country. The pardon makes light of “the strange power vested in politicians to decide the earthly fates...

Support for Death Penalty Hits 39-Year Low
Support for Death Penalty Hits 39-Year Low
survey says
Oct 13, 2011 12:25 PM CDT

Support for Death Penalty Hits 39-Year Low

New poll finds 61% back capital punishment

(Newser) - A full 61% of Americans back the death penalty, but even so, support is at a 39-year low. A new Gallup poll finds that support is down from 64% last year, and is at its lowest level since a brief moratorium on capital punishment began in 1972 with the Supreme...

No More Last Meals for Death Row Cons in Texas
No More Last Meals for
Death Row Cons in Texas
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 25, 2011 7:00 PM CDT

No More Last Meals for Death Row Cons in Texas

They can no longer make special requests

(Newser) - Death row inmates in Texas can no longer request special last meals, and they can blame racist killer Lawrence Russell Brewer. Before he was executed this week , Brewer ordered up a Texas-sized feast, according to the Austin American-Statesman : "Two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet,...

Michael Moore Urges Boycott of Georgia Over Execution

Don't do business with state in the name of Troy Davis, he writes

(Newser) - Michael Moore wants all his fans to boycott "the murderous state of Georgia" because of the Troy Davis execution . "I encourage everyone I know to never travel to Georgia, never buy anything made in Georgia, to never do business in Georgia," he writes on his website . Moore...

Troy Davis Dies Proclaiming Innocence

He loses his final appeal

(Newser) - Troy Davis was put to death by lethal injection last night after the US Supreme Court refused to stop his execution in Georgia. Davis' attorneys made the last-ditch plea after all other options were exhausted. Davis, who was convicted of killing off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989 but...

Troy Davis' Request to Take Polygraph Rejected

His execution is just hours away

(Newser) - One more rejection for Troy Davis: Prison officials rebuffed his lawyers' attempts this morning to have him take a polygraph test , reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . The decision makes his execution at 7pm EDT all the more likely, though furious efforts continue to win a reprieve. His lawyers filed another appeal...

Troy Davis: I Want to Take a Polygraph Test

In effort to save him, Georgia Democrats urge prison strike

(Newser) - Troy Davis is hours from death, but he’s not giving up. The Georgia death row inmate, who claims he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989, wants to take a polygraph test. "Mr. Davis believes he is innocent and he wants to show it,"...

Georgia Refuses to Spare Troy Davis' Life

Decision means tomorrow's execution will likely occur

(Newser) - Troy Davis will die tomorrow. Georgia's pardons board today rejected a last-ditch plea for clemency for the death row inmate, despite calls from the likes of Pope Benedict, Amnesty International, and Jimmy Carter for his sentence to be commuted. The panel announced its decision after hearing hours of testimony...

Troy Davis Execution: Former FBI Chief William Sessions Says Too Much Doubt Exists for Death Penalty
 Georgia May 
 Execute an 
 Innocent Man 
OPINION
Sep 15, 2011 12:32 PM CDT

Georgia May Execute an Innocent Man

State should commute sentence of Troy Davis: Ex-FBI chief William Sessions

(Newser) - Former FBI chief William Sessions joins those pleading with Georgia to call off next week's execution of Troy Davis, a death row inmate convicted of killing a police officer in 1989. "Serious questions about Mr. Davis' guilt, highlighted by witness recantations, allegations of police coercion, and a lack...

Rick Perry Asked to Halt Tomorrow's Execution

Jury told black men pose greater danger

(Newser) - Lawyers for Duane Edward Buck are urging Texas Gov. Rick Perry to step in and stay their client's execution, scheduled for tomorrow, citing racially biased testimony presented at his sentencing hearing. Texas law requires juries to decide if a defendant poses a “future danger” when deciding whether to...

Applause as Perry Defends Death Penalty

But serious questions were raised about execution on Rick's watch

(Newser) - One thing Rick Perry doesn't lose sleep over are the executions in his state. Asked last night if he ever worried that Texas has put an innocent man to death, he answered confidently: "No, sir. I've never struggled with that at all." He praised the state'...

Broke Counties Eschew Pricey Death Penalty

Capital punishment cases double, triple costs of normal trial

(Newser) - Could the recession snuff out the death penalty? Probably not, but it’s doing a real number on it. Death penalty cases have been cut in half since 2000, from 224 nationwide to 112 last year, and part of that dip appears to be related to the economy, Fox News...

No. 1 Governor in Executions: Rick Perry

234 executions in 11 years sparks debate from death penalty opponents

(Newser) - Rick Perry holds one impressive record as Texas governor that even some of his competitors for the GOP's presidential nomination might not want—overseeing more executions than any governor in modern history, reports the Washington Post . With 234 people executed in Texas in Perry's 11 years as governor,...

Face It: We Need Revenge

 Face It: We Need Revenge 
OPINION
Jul 28, 2011 1:00 PM CDT

Face It: We Need Revenge

Justice is just a fancy word for vengeance, argues Thane Rosenbaum

(Newser) - Norway doesn’t have the death penalty, and that means it’s “legally and morally” unprepared to deal with the likes of Anders Breivik, the man allegedly responsible for the Oslo massacre, argues legal scholar Thane Rosenbaum in the New York Times . Americans, meanwhile, are outraged over the acquittal...

Ohio Serial Killer Convicted of Murdering 11 Women

Anthony Sowell now faces the death penalty

(Newser) - An ex-Marine and newly convicted serial killer who had the bodies of 11 women in his Cleveland home will face the death penalty. Anthony Sowell , 51, was convicted of aggravated murder after a three-day jury deliberation, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer . Now the trial moves into the mitigation phase during...

Ala. Judges Override Juries— but Not to Be Merciful

Most of the time power is used, it's to impose the death penalty

(Newser) - It sounds sensible, even merciful: Alabama judges are allowed to override the decisions of capital juries. Justice Thurgood Marshall, a staunch death penalty opponent, was in favor of the system, because it allows "someone who had seen more than one case" to make the ultimate decision, says one retired...

Texas Executes Mexican After Appeal Rejected

Humberto Leal dies for rape, murder of teen

(Newser) - A Mexican citizen was put to death in Texas soon after the US Supreme Court and Gov. Rick Perry rejected appeals from the White House , among others, to spare his life to protect American interests. The court, by a 5-4 majority, decided against delaying the execution until Congress could consider...

Hasan Faces Military Trial, Death Penalty

Alleged Fort Hood shooter's lawyer loses argument

(Newser) - Nidal Hasan, the alleged shooter in the Fort Hood massacre, will face a military trial and could, if convicted, be sentenced to death, Fort Hood's commanding general announced today. Hasan's lawyers had tried to convince the military that a death penalty case would be too expensive, time consuming,...

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