On Saturday night, ABC News’ 20/20 did a story on the cases of Gary Sutton and James Dellinger, two men who have been on Tennessee’s death row since the early 90’s. The men were sent to death row based on the testimony of former Tennessee Medical Examiner, Charles Harlan, who was fired and lost his medical license.

The story raises troubling issues about these cases and provides yet more evidence that innocent people are sitting on Tennessee’s death row.

Watch the story here. Once you are on the website, to see both parts of the story, look at the column on the right under the date March 5. Then, click on “Inmates on Death Row: Is Harlan to Blame” and next click, “20/20 Confronts Dr. on Charges” You will be amazed by what is revealed.

Regardless of one’s position on the death penalty, such troubling cases as these are more evidence of a system that is completely broken and cannot be trusted to always get it right. With alternatives available, why take such risks?

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On January 15, 1986, Gaile Owens was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, Ron Owens, by a jury that did not have all the facts. The jury was never told about the abuse Gaile suffered at the hands of her husband nor did they know about her willingness to plead guilty for a sentence of life in prison. A review of similar Tennessee cases featured recently in the Tennessean demonstrates the disproportionate nature of Gaile’s death sentence. Over the past 25 years, six of the women in these cases have since received full probation or early parole and two others are serving life sentences but are entitled to parole hearings. Only Gaile Owens faces a death sentence after 23 years on death row.

Gaile suffered abuse as a child and ultimately married a man who was also abusive. Her husband not only abused Gaile sexually but also had affairs with other women that he flaunted. Despite this treatment, Gaile did her best to be a good wife and mother. She finally came to a breaking point when she discovered her husband with another woman with whom he had had an extended affair. His response to her was to curse Gaile, throw her against a car, and tell her to stay out of his business.

Gaile takes full responsibility for her decision to hire Sidney Porterfield to kill her husband. She understands how much this decision hurt her children and Ron Owens’ friends and family. Because of her remorse and hope to spare everyone involved the pain of a trial, Gaile decided to accept a deal offered by the District Attorney to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. However, her co-defendant would not accept a deal. Because the District Attorney wanted them to plead together, the deal was not honored, and she was forced to go to trial.

Because Gaile’s attorneys believed that she was pleading guilty in exchange for a life sentence, they did not prepare, recording only two hours of sentencing investigation—two hours to defend her life. Each of her attorneys believed the other was responsible for the sentencing hearing so neither prepared for it either, spending no time collecting records respecting Gaile’s background and character.

Her attorneys never mentioned the abuse she had suffered even though she told them about it. And, when one of her lawyers argued that Gaile’s allegations of abuse entitled her to some kind of expert inquiry, the trial court refused. With no expert inquiry, no investigation, no document gathering, and no real legal representation, Gaile Owens was found guilty and sentenced to death by a jury who did not know who she was, what she had endured, or why she did what she did.

The legal system never worked for Gaile. Not only were her own trial lawyers unprepared, but she learned during post-conviction proceedings that the prosecution had withheld critical information about Ron Owens’ affairs. The state possessed love letters between Ron Owens and his mistress but withheld these letters from Gaile, leaving her unaware of documented evidence supporting her allegations of Ron’s sexual perversions and her suspicions of his unfaithfulness.

Gaile Owens takes full responsibility for her actions and is deeply remorseful for the pain she has caused. She is seeking what she has always sought—a life sentence. Gaile does not want media attention nor does she want her children and family to be dragged through the media circus that would accompany her execution. Gaile is an exemplary inmate at the Tennessee Prison for Women where she works as a clerk.

Please write to Governor Bredesen and ask him to commute Gaile Owens’ death sentence to life. Letters should be written to Governor Phil Bredesen and sent to:

Governor’s Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001

Call Governor Bredesen at 615-741-2001 or
Email: Phil.Bredesen@tn.gov

Also, check out www.friendsofgaile.com

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 malfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be so 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.

Judge Kevin Fine, a Houston Judge from Harris county in Texas, a county that sends more people to death row than any other in the country, ruled in a pre-trial motion in a capital murder case on Thursday that the death penalty is unconstitutional.

Attorneys for John Edward Green Jr. argued Texas’ death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it violates their client’s right to due process of law under the 5th Amendment since hundreds of innocent people around the country have been convicted and sent to death row and later exonerated.

Judge Fine stated that he believes that innocent people have been executed and goes on to say:

“Are you willing to have your brother, your father, your mother be the sacrificial lamb, to be the innocent person executed so that we can have a death penalty so that we can execute those who are deserving of the death penalty?” he said. “I don’t think society’s mindset is that way now.”

Judge Fine stated that his guidance in making a decision is what has been provided by the U.S. Supreme Court “that places a duty on trial courts to act as gatekeepers in interpreting the due process claim in light of evolving standards of fairness and ordered liberty.”

Hear Judge Fine remarks here.

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 heartiness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile malfunction 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 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.

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the challenge to Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol brought by Tennessee death row inmate, Edward Jerome Harbison.

In 2007, District Court Judge Aleta Trauger ruled that Tennessee’s lethal injection process did risk torture, violating Harbison’s Eighth Amendment rights. She agreed that the current three drug protocol did pose “substantial risk of unnecessary pain” to the inmate. However, the Sixth Circuit Court later overturned the ruling after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky’s protocol, which is similar to Tennessee’s, is constitutional.

Recently, Ohio has moved to a one drug protocol that does not include the controversial paralytic, pavulon, which is currently used in Tennessee’s protocol.

Read more here.

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 heartiness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction 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 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.

Last night, students at Rhodes College hosted their first TADP write-a-thon as part of their “Justice Jam” event. Allison Dove, a senior at Rhodes, organized the write-a-thon and did a tremendous job. Our table was located in the “Lair,” a large building where students gather to eat and hang out. Thirty eight letters were written by Rhodes students to their local legislators asking them to support legislation to abolish the death penalty in Tennessee. We enjoyed lively and stimulating conversations among many students as to the public policy of the death penalty and how it works. The write-a-thon was also a great venue to introduce TADP and our work to the students at Rhodes. I was so impressed by the commitment and passion of many young people who are seriously engaged in fighting for social justice. We at TADP look forward to working more with Rhodes College as we together work to abolish the death penalty in Tennessee.

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 disfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction 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.

Today, the Kansas Senate failed to repeal the death penalty with a 20 to 20 vote but demonstrated how far the state has come and how close it is to abolishing the death penalty. The bill would have repealed the death penalty, replacing it with life without the possibility of parole. It would not have affected the 10 men currently on Kansas death row.

Republican Senate Vice President John Vratil supported the repeal effort, citing studies demonstrating that the death penalty does not deter crime. He also cited figures that showed decreased murder rates in every state over the past two decades, regardless of whether the state had the death penalty or not.

Republican Senator Carolyn McGinn repeated the call for repeal with assertions concerning the exorbitant costs of the death penalty to cash strapped states: “It costs half a million dollars, or 70 percent more, to try a death penalty case than a non death penalty case and yet the state hasn’t executed anyone since 1965. We’re not executing anybody. Can we use this money to prevent future heinous, horrible crimes? Can we use it to solve cold cases that are up on the shelf for those families who don’t even know who murdered their family member?”

This close vote signals the continuing realization across the country that the death penalty is a failed public policy that takes resources and focus away from real crime prevention measures as well as the real needs of murder victims’ families.

Thanks to all those in Kansas who worked so hard to educate and advocate for the repeal of the death penalty. This effort moves Kansas one step closer to abolition and inspires the rest of us to keep on keeping on!

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 soul trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be highly 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.

Channel 5 News featured a story last night about the status of Gaile Owens’ case and the increasing number people who support the commutation of her sentence. Owens, who is facing execution for the 1985 murder of her husband, was convicted and sentenced to death though the jury never heard testimony about the abuse she suffered or that she was willing to plead guilty for a life sentence. Because her attorneys believed that she would plead guilty, they spent only 2 hours preparing for her trial.

As more people are becoming familiar with the problems in this case, more people are speaking out for clemency. In particular, advocates for victims of domestic violence are publicly commenting on Gaile’s situation, noting the lack of resources and help available for abused women at the time of her husband’s murder.

It may be three or four weeks before the Tennessee Supreme Court rules on her case. At that time, either the Court will set an execution date or commute her sentence. The Governor has said that he will not get involved until the courts have completed their process.

TADP will keep you informed of the latest developments and provide you with actions to take once the Court rules.

See the Channel 5 story here.

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 disfunction 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 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 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.

Today Gaile Owens’ attorneys argued to the Tennessee Supreme Court that her execution date should not be set, and instead, that her death sentence be commuted to life.

Gaile was sentenced to death by a Memphis jury for hiring Sidney Porterfield to kill her husband in 1985. But, the jury never heard testimony concerning the severe abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband nor did the jury know that she was willing to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence.

Gaile has expressed remorse for her husband’s murder and is the only inmate in Tennessee prison history to receive a death sentence after accepting a prosecutor’s offer to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Gaile is a model inmate at the Tennessee Prison for Women where she works as a clerk.

A recent review of nine similar cases featured in the Tennessean shows that over the past 25 years, six of the women in these cases have since received full probation or early parole, two others are serving life sentences but are entitled to parole hearings, and only one, Gaile Owens, is facing a death sentence after 23 years on death row.

Now the Tennessee Supreme Court will decide whether to commute Gaile’s death sentence to life or set a date for her execution. If they decide to set an execution date, her last hope for clemency will be with the Governor.

We will keep you informed of developments in this case and ways that you can get involved to stop this execution. If Tennessee moves forward with its plans to execute her, she will be the first woman executed by the state of Tennessee since the execution of Eve Martin in 1820.

Gaile’s case is yet one more indication of how broken the current death penalty system is. She went to trial with lawyers who were unprepared, recording only 2 hours of pre-trial investigation and no expert assistance–2 hours to prepare for a trial for this woman’s life. The national standard is to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of hours investigating such a case before trial. Her case has moved through the entire appeals process without critical issues ever getting addressed. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied to hear her case, she has almost run out of options.

How can the case of a woman who is a victim of severe domestic abuse, was willing to plead guilty, had almost no representation at trial, and has always shown remorse for her actions move all the way through the appeals system with no remedy? Because the system is broken and cannot be trusted to determine who should live and who should die.

Let’s hope the Tennessee Supreme Court will remedy this situation and commute Gaile’s sentence to life. Stay tuned.

Read the Tennessean article here.

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 malfunction. 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 dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be highly 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.

One year ago today at 1:00 a.m., the state executed my friend, Steve Henley. Steve had spent 23 years on Tennessee’s death row for the murder of Fred and Edna Stafford, an elderly couple who lived near Steve’s grandmother. Steve was convicted and sentenced to death based on the testimony of a co-defendant who made a deal and served only 5 years for his part in the crime.

Given all that Steve had been through over the years, he faced his death with dignity and truly was at peace in those hours and minutes before his execution. I remain grateful for that gift. Some people believe that Steve deserved to be executed for the crimes for which he was convicted. And certainly, the murders were horrid and the suffering of the Stafford family cannot be overstated. I hope that family can find some peace.

And yet, today as I reflect on my experience of last year, I am reminded of those hidden costs of the death penalty that are not often considered. Now, by costs, in this instance, I don’t mean literal dollars, though study after study demonstrates that the financial costs of the death penalty system are exorbitant and far more expensive than a system which only utilizes life without parole. But, in this case, I am talking about the human costs that no one wants to talk about, the costs that no one wants to see.

I think of Steve’s family today–elderly parents, two sisters, two children, four grandchildren, nieces and nephews. None of these people did anything wrong, and yet they suffered and still suffer the devastating pain that anyone suffers who loses a loved one to homicide. And not only did they suffer the pain of Steve’s death, but they suffered for 23 years as they prepared for his death. One year later, the wounds are still gaping as they deal with the lasting effects of Steve’s execution.

Then, there are those working in the Dept. of Corrections who we ask to carry out these executions while most of us are asleep. Now, having been there to witness an execution and seeing it with my own eyes, I have no doubt of the mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma that these individuals suffer as a consequence. You cannot witness such a thing, nevermind carry it out, without significant consequences. Former Warden at the Florida State Prison, Ron McAndrew, travels the country sharing his experience of carrying out executions in Florida and of the damage it did to him. He talks about his journey from solid supporter of the death penalty to someone who now advocates for alternatives to execution in order to help with his own healing.

Regardless of how you feel about the death penalty, the fact is that Steve Henley is a free man today. For him, it is over. And yet, it is not over for the rest of us, is it?

It is not over for the Stafford family as no number of executions can ever repair the harm done to them when their loved ones were murdered. It is not over for the Henley family who suffer the mental, emotional, and physical consequences of the ordeal through which they traveled and the grief that they now bear. It is not over for the correctional officers, the Warden, the Commissioner, who are asked to carry out these executions on our behalf, strapping an individual down to a gurney, a person who they may have known for years, and kill him or her. And, it is not over for us. It is not over for us who continue to put our faith in violence to solve our problems or right our wrongs. Because no matter how we try, the violent act of an execution just does not fill the void. Violence doesn’t have that power. Such a void is one that only the love of God and our community can ever begin to fill.

And so regardless of what we think or feel about Steve Henley today, let us all remember those living with the grim realities of the death penalty whose continued suffering is all too real and all too costly.

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 disfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart 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 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.