The state of Tennessee has set January 15, 2014, as the execution date for Billy Ray Irick who was convicted of the rape and murder of seven-year-old Paula Dyer in Knoxville in 1985. Mr. Irick has suffered from severe mental illness since early childhood and spent ten months in a psychiatric hospital when he was only eight years old.

Mr Irick’s court appointed trial attorneys originally filed a notice of an insanity defense, which they later withdrew. During the duration of his trial, the only mention of his long history of mental illness came during his sentencing hearing.  It was only years later that key witnesses were interviewed by Billy’s new attorneys, confirming his psychotic symptoms at the time of the crime.

TADP is very disappointed with the state’s plans to move forward with this execution. We will keep you updated in the coming days on how you can take action on this case.

Picture from knoxnews.com

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Even with all the problems plaguing Tennessee’s death penalty system, according to an article in today’s Tennessean, the state appears to be preparing to resume executions.

The Tennessee Department of Correction recently announced that it would use pentobarbital in upcoming executions, replacing the three-drug protocol that the state has used in the past. Pentobarbital has never been used to execute inmates in Tennessee.

Last session, the Tennessee General Assembly also passed a law making confidential the identity of “a person or entity involved in the procurement or provision of chemicals, equipment, supplies and other items for use in carrying out a death sentence.” (SB 154)  This law was passed in response to the seizure of the state’s lethal injection drugs in 2011 because the drugs were imported improperly from questionable sources.

And if all these issues are not problematic enough, the state has yet to address the fact that of 93 guidelines for a fair and accurate system set out by the American Bar Association, Tennessee fully complies with only seven. To date, Tennessee has also released four individuals from death row when strong evidence of their innocence emerged. This means that we have executed six people in the modern era of the death penalty and released four because we were wrong.

Is this a system worth trusting to determine who lives and dies? With alternatives available in Tennessee, why do we keep wasting our energy and resources on such a mess? Why don’t we refocus our energy, resources, and attention on providing for the needs of victims’ families, solving cold cases, providing access to mental heath care,  drug treatment, and education–things we know help to prevent crime.  When will we learn that the death penalty is a failed policy that leads us nowhere but to more violence, hurt, and waste. We can and must do better.

Picture provided by Telegraph

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

In a 3-2 decision, the Tennessee Supreme Court has maintained the death sentence of Corinio Pruitt as well as the current court standard for proportionality review. Pruitt was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of 79-year-old Lawrence Guidroz in Memphis, who died a day after he was thrown to the ground by Pruitt who was stealing his car.

The Court is required by state law to review death cases to determine if the sentence is appropriate in comparison to similar cases.  In reviewing Pruitt’s case, the Court first considered whether the current standards should be changed.

Prior to 1997, the Court looked at all cases in which a defendant had been convicted of first-degree murder to see if a death sentence in a particular first-degree murder case was disproportionate to the sentences of those convicted of similar crimes. In 1997, the Court decided that it would only compare cases in which the defendant was sentenced to death to other cases in which a death sentence was sought, drastically limiting the pool of cases for consideration.

In their dissent, Justice William C. Koch and Justice Sharon G. Lee stated that comparing all first-degree murder cases would be more consistent with Tennessee law and with the standard that capital punishment should be reserved for the most heinous murders. These Justices agreed with the 2007 American Bar Association’s assessment of Tennessee’s death penalty, which asserted that limiting the pool of cases for comparison undercuts the whole reason for proportionality review.

The dissenting Justices also argued that a sentence of life without parole would be more appropriate for Pruitt given that the death penalty should be reserved for the most dangerous criminals.

Read more.

Photo by Salfalko

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in 2004 by the state of Texas for an arson fire that killed his three daughters. Both prior to and after Willingham’s execution, a number of forensic fire experts concluded that there was no credible evidence that the fire was arson. Willingham was executed for a fire that might not have been a crime at all.

Willingham’s family has asked the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles to pardon him based on the growing evidence that the state of Texas executed an innocent man. Just 10 days ago, the Innocent Project pointed to new evidence of false testimony at Willingham’s trial

Take action now and ask the Texas Pardons and Paroles Board, along with Governor Rick Perry, to conduct an investigation into Willingham’s execution.  It is time that Willingham’s family, as well as the rest of us, get some answers.

Photo provided by Death Penalty Information Center

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from Warren Hill’s attorneys that the Court halt his execution because of his intellectual disability.

One of his lawyer Brian Kammer stated, “It is the unanimous opinion of all doctors who have examined him that Mr. Hill is a person with mental retardation. However, Mr. Hill has been procedurally barred from proving his exemption from capital punishment, which is why he brought his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, in the hopes that the court would ensure that the evidence of his intellectual disability would be heard. It is tragic that our highest court has failed to enforce its own command that persons with mental retardation are categorically ineligible for the death penalty.”

Hill’s execution still remains on hold while the Georgia Supreme Court hears his challenge to a new state law that keeps the identities of those who provide the execution drugs a secret.

Read the article.

Picture from Georgia Dept. of Justice

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile malfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Last night at Nashville’s First Amendment Center, Stephen Owens sat beside his mother, Gaile Owens, as he talked about his new book Set Free.  Stephen was a child when his mother was sent to death row for hiring a man to kill her husband in Memphis in 1984 after what she described as a life of abuse. Gaile had agreed to plead guilty for a life sentence, but the deal was taken from her when her co-defendant would not also agree. She was then tried, convicted, and sentenced to die. Gaile’s request for clemency in 2010 led to the commutation of her death sentence just months before her execution and ultimately to her parole.

Set Free chronicles Stephen’s long and painful journey. He had no contact with his mother from the time he testified against her at her trial in 1986 to August 2009 when he decided to visit her in prison.  After carrying a burden of resentment and bitterness for so many years, Stephen attributes his Christian faith to leading him to the point of finally forgiving his mother and creating the possibility for reconciliation for both of them.

Watch interview.

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

According to a new report just released by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), just two percent of the counties in the U.S have been responsible for the majority of cases leading to executions since 1976.  Similarly, only two percent of the nation’s counties are also responsible for the majority of those currently on death row and recent death sentences.

According to Richard Dieter, DPIC’s Executive Director, “Eighty-five percent of the counties in the U.S. have not had a single case resulting in an execution in over 45 years. The relatively few prosecutors who drive the death penalty create enormous burdens for those outside their district. The rest of the country in paying a high tariff on behalf of the small percentage of the counties that are actually using the death penalty.”

The top ten counties among the two percent responsible for more than half of the nation’s death row population are: Los Angeles County, CA; Harris County, TX; Philadelphia County, PA; Maricopa County, AZ; Riverside County, CA; Clark County, NV; Orange County, CA; Duvall County, FL; Alameda County, CA; and San Diego County, CA.

The top ten counties among the two percent of counties responsible for over half of the executions since 1976 are:  Harris County, TX; Dallas County, TX; Oklahoma County, OK; Tarrant County, TX; Bexar County, TX; Montgomery County, TX; Tulsa County, OK; Jefferson County, TX; St. Louis County, MO; and Brazos County, TX.

Four counties in Texas (out of 254 counties) are responsible for almost half of all executions in the state, and three counties in California produce more than half of that state’s death row.

According to research conducted by the Tennessee Justice Project, approximately 38% of our Tennessee’s death row population comes from only one county–Shelby County–while half of the state’s counties have never sentenced anyone to death.

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Friday’s Tennessean reported that the Tennessee Department of Correction will now use pentobarbital to execute inmates, moving from a three-drug cocktail to a one drug protocol. With this change, Tennessee joins states like Georgia and Texas in switching to this drug.

What is unclear is what this change means for resumption of executions in our state. Tennessee has not executed anyone since 2009, when Steve Henley and Cecil Johnson were executed after serving decades in prison.

TADP is deeply concerned about this move by the state, particularly as we continue to discover more and more problems with the application and administration of the death penalty in Tennessee and across the nation. With such doubt about the system’s fairness and reliability, Tennessee should not move forward with executions.  The risk is too great and the cost–both human and monetary–is too high.

Picture from FADP

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile malfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Today is National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.  This day is set aside to remember all those who have lost their lives to violence as well as their families and friends. Today reminds each of us to reach out to anyone we know who has suffered the murder of a loved one and to let them know that we are thinking of them and praying for them.

This day also reminds us that surviving family members of murder need our support, and we hope that you will consider volunteering your time to support a victims’ services organization where you live.

On Saturday, September 28, You Have the Power, an organization working to   educate, advocate for, and empower individuals and communities who are impacted by violent crime, will have its  2013 Walk Off Crime for No More Victims event in downtown Nashville beginning at 9:30 a.m.  This event allows you to join others to show support for those whose lives have been touched by violence.

I will be participating in this walk, and I hope others of you will join me.

Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Tomorrow, September 21, marks two years since Troy Anthony Davis was executed. Looking back at his case, it is truly stunning, though not all that surprising, that the State of Georgia could proceed with an execution when there was so much doubt. There was no physical evidence linking Troy to the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail, seven of the nine state’s non-police witnesses had recanted their testimony, and nine individuals signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles, one of the other witnesses who testified against Troy, as the real killer. Troy’s case drew world-wide concern and garnered one million petition signers calling for his life to be spared. Despite all of this, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Supreme Court refused to intervene.

Photographer Scott Langley was in Jackson, GA during the final days of action around the case, and he documented the last hours of Troy’s life as he stood with Troy’s family and supporters outside of the prison that night. He has recently released these previously unseen photos that he took in the 24 hours leading up to Troy’s death. A new book called I Am Troy Davis, coauthored by Jen Marlowe and Troy’s sister, Martina Davis-Correia, includes a foreword by Sister Helen Prejean and provides an intimate look at Troy and the movement that tried to save his life. Our partners at Equal Justice USA authored this study guide to accompany the book. Check them out!

Troy once said, “The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me.” Indeed, the struggle continues and we are making progress toward achieving Troy’s dream of a country and world without the death penalty. This May, Maryland became the sixth state in six years to abolish the death penalty and several more states are poised to end capital punishment in the coming years. Around the country and here in Tennessee, citizens and leaders from various backgrounds and of all political stripes are growing more concerned about this broken death penalty system, and TADP continues to educate audiences about the need for repeal.

You can help honor the memory of Troy Davis by speaking out against the death penalty and getting involved. You can talk with friends and family, host a speaker at your church or civic group, write a letter to the editor, express your concerns with your state legislators, and/or join or form a TADP chapter in your area. Please contact us to learn more.

(Photo of Troy Davis by The Savannah Morning News/AP via ABC News)

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.