A recent article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal highlights the increasing number of people who are concerned about the broken death penalty system, particularly fiscal conservatives who are often tough-on-crime but recognize the enormous economic toll that the death penalty system takes on states.

Supporters of Proposition 34, a referendum to abolish the death penalty in California slated to be voted on next month, consist of many unlikely allies, including former judge Donald McCartin, who sent nine men to death row, Donald Heller, a former prosecutor who authored California’s death penalty law, and Ron Briggs, a Republican who led the campaign to reinstate the the death penalty in California in 1978.

A 2011 study that was co-authored by Arthur Alarcón, a federal appellate judge for the Ninth Circuit in Los Angeles, found that the state had spent more than $4 billion on capital punishment since it was reinstated – about $308 million for each of the 13 executions since then. The study explains the cost results from the fact that housing a death-row inmate is more costly than housing a general-population prisoner, that the state provides two lawyers to every defendant facing the death penalty, and that capital punishment cases require two phases- one to determine guilt and one to determine sentencing- all of which is very expensive. In fact, the study found that jury selection alone in capital cases in California costs more than $200,000 above the amount for life without parole cases and that death penalty prosecutions can cost the state 20 times as much as life without parole cases.

While death penalty supporters in California and across the country often argue that the system could be reformed to be more efficient and less costly, we only need to look at the 141 individuals who have been exonerated from death rows across this country to understand why the often lengthy appeals process simply cannot be expedited. The facts show that innocent people do end up on death row, and research suggests that innocent people have been executed. Reducing appeals would only further compound this risk.

It is encouraging to see that conservatives in California and elsewhere, like Montana and Utah, and even here in Tennessee, are rethinking the death penalty and that media outlets like The Wall Street Journal are paying attention.

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 soundness problem such as heart 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 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.

Two victories from this past Friday highlight the continued problems that plague our death penalty system. On September 28, Damon Thibodeaux became the 141st person exonerated in the U.S. since 1973 when he was freed from death row in Louisiana. That same day, Terrance Williams, a Pennsylvania death row inmate who was scheduled to be executed this Wednesday, was granted a stay and a new sentencing hearing.

Thibodeaux spent 15 years on death row in Angola prison where he was isolated 23 hours per day in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell for the 1996 rape and murder of his 14-year-old step-cousin, Crystal Champagne. He was convicted and sentenced to death primarily based on his own confession, which was obtained after nine hours of interrogation by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives. After denying any involvement in the crime multiple times over the course of more than six hours throughout the night, Thibodeaux finally confessed to police in the early morning . “At that point I was tired,” Thibodeaux said. “I was hungry. All I wanted to do was sleep, and I was willing to tell them anything they wanted me to tell them if it would get me out of that interrogation room.” He recanted his confession that same day.

Thibodeaux’s release followed a rare, five year joint reinvestigation by his defense attorneys and Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. that concluded that his confession was obviously false. Thibodeaux’s account of what happened did not match up with evidence from the crime scene, and although he admitted that he had raped the victim, no evidence of sexual assault was ever found. No DNA evidence was found on his clothing, and blood that was lifted from the wire that was used to strangle the victim did not match Thibodeaux. The cost of the reinvestigation was more than $500,000, an expense shared by the defense and prosecution.

Barry Scheck, co-director of The Innocence Project and part of Thibodeaux’s defense team, noted that this was the 300th case nationally in which DNA evidence was used to exonerate someone wrongly convicted and, like Thibodeaux’s, 25 percent of those cases included false confessions. “People have a very hard time with the concept that an innocent person could confess to a crime that they didn’t commit,” said Scheck. “But it happens a lot. It’s the ultimate risk that an innocent man could be executed.”

Terrance Williams was sentenced to death in Pennsylvania for the 1984 killing of Amos Norwood but was granted a stay for his scheduled October 3 execution and issued a new sentencing hearing on Friday by Philadelphia Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, who insists prosecutors suppressed important mitigating evidence that likely would have caused the jury to give him a different sentence. Williams was only 18 when the murder occurred, but says he had been sexually abused by Norwood since the age of 13. Norwood was a church deacon and worked with underprivileged boys through a church theater program.

Marc Draper, an accomplice in the murder and a childhood friend of Williams, says he was offered a deal by trial prosecutor Andrea Gelman Foulkes if he testified that he and Williams fatally beat Norwood during a robbery. He took the deal, thinking he would be paroled after 10 or 15 years. Instead, he received a life sentence. In recent affidavits, he admits that he had told Foulkes and detectives about the victim’s sexual abuse of Williams and he claims they didn’t want to hear it. Foulkes even testified last week that she had suspected that there had been a sexual relationship between Norwood, who was 56, and 18-year-old Williams, but neither she nor the police pursued it.  Williams’ defense lawyer and jurors also never heard about statements from Norwood’s wife and pastor about prior fondling complaints and his odd interactions with teenage boys.

In earlier appeals, federal courts have called the work of Williams’ now-disbarred trial lawyer “unconstitutionally deficient,” although they continued to uphold his death sentence. Federal public defenders who have been representing Williams since 1996 warn that the injustices seen in this case happen often.“That we were talking about executing somebody who meets his lawyer a day before trial is an indictment of the system. The fact we’re talking about this new evidence a week before execution is a bigger indictment of the system,” said public defender Victor Abreu.

Williams’ fate is now before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after District Attorney Seth Williams denounced the ruling by Judge Sarmina and his office immediately appealed. Shawn Nolan, one of Williams’ attorneys said “It is legally and ethically unconscionable that Seth Williams and his assistants continue to advocate for the execution of Terry Williams after hiding significant evidence for 28 years from defense counsel, jurors, the courts, the Board of Pardons, and the citizens of Pennsylvania.”

Williams also has a clemency petition pending with the state Board of Pardons, which had two hearings over the last two weeks on Williams’ plea to have his death sentence commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The five-member board must vote unanimously to recommend clemency to the governor. The clemency vote failed on September 17 with a 3-2 vote for clemency. However, they agreed to revisit Williams’ case last Thursday but did not issue a ruling. The board could be asked to reconsider the petition for clemency if the state Supreme Court overturns Sarmina’s ruling.

There is a chance that Williams could still be executed. You can take action by calling the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office at 215-686-8000. You will get a voicemail menu. Select option 3 and leave a message that Terrance Williams should not be executed and that he deserves a new sentencing hearing. If you have not already done so, you can also sign this petition calling for his clemency.

While Friday brought good news for these men, their cases are symbols of everything that can and does go wrong in so many death penalty cases in our country. The system remains severely broken and it must be abolished.

(Photos of Damon Thibodeaux and Terrance Williams as teenagers courtesy of FRROLE and The Atlantic)

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 disfunction. 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 dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness 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.

The 33 U.S. states that still have the death penalty could take a lesson from our Southeastern neighbor. Puerto Rico abolished the death penalty in 1929 and reaffirmed opposition to it in its first constitution in 1952 – calling it a human rights violation. In 2000, a judge ruled that applying the death penalty would violate the Puerto Rican constitution and the federal statute that gives the territory the status of a self-governing entity.

However, in 2001, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Puerto Rico is subject to federal law, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that decision. This court action means that although capital punishment is constitutionally illegal in the territory, defendants who are tried in federal court can still face the death penalty. However, Puerto Rican juries have continuously rejected the federal death penalty.

The latest case was decided yesterday when a jury instead chose life in prison for Edison Burgos Montes, a convicted drug dealer, found guilty of the 2005 killing of his ex-girlfriend Madelyn Semidey Morales, an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The victim’s parents were pleased with the verdict, telling reporters that they do not believe in capital punishment. “I’m satisfied that justice was served,” Semidey Morales’ mother said.

Two other federal death penalty cases are expected to go before juries in January. The president of the human rights commission of Puerto Rico’s Association of Attorneys said that he doubts any jury would ever seek the death penalty in Puerto Rico, saying, “It is a product of failed federal policies.”

We couldn’t agree more.

(Photo courtesy of latinorebels.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 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 dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health 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.

Today marks the 14th annual observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Around the nation, people are honoring the memories of murder victims and reflecting on the impact that homicide has on surviving family members, friends, and communities.

While our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost loved ones in the tragic murders that have made the headlines this year in Colorado and Wisconsin, we must not forget the thousands of murders that occur here in Tennessee and across this nation that receive little or no attention. All families who are grieving the murder of their loved ones need support to help rebuild their lives, and we need a justice system that recognizes and works to meet murder victims families’ needs.

To honor victims, consider volunteering at your local victims’ services organization. If you’re in the Nashville area, this Saturday, September 29 You Have the Power is hosting a “No More Victims Walk” that you can register for here,  or to make a donation, click here. If you or a family member are a victim of crime, please visit this website to find out your rights and the resources that are available to you in Tennessee.

(Photo courtesy of www.never-gone.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 claim among men is the erectile malfunction. 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 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.

One year ago today, the state of Georgia killed Troy Anthony Davis. The Board of Pardons and Paroles ignored the fact that there was no physical evidence linking him to the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail, or that seven of the nine state’s non-police witnesses recanted their testimony, or that nine individuals signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles, one of the other witnesses who testified against Troy, as the real killer. Despite nearly one million petition signers from around the world calling for Troy’s life to be spared, the Supreme Court refused to intervene, and the state proceeded with his execution.

Although the pain and shock from such a grave injustice remains with us, we can find comfort and strength in the wisdom of Troy’s words from that night: “This movement started before I was born. After tonight, our movement will grow stronger until we succeed in destroying the death penalty in the United States once and for all.”

Indeed, the movement has grown stronger. Earlier this year Connecticut became the fifth state in five years to end the death penalty. Several other states, including Maryland, are fighting legislative battles, and this November, voters in California will vote on Proposition 34, which if passed, would replace the death penalty with life without the possibility for parole.  In the past year, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber issued a moratorium on the death penalty in his state, and here in Tennessee Gussie Vann became our third exoneree when all charges against him for the 1992 murder of his daughter were dropped. Former Tennessee death row inmate Timothy McKinney continues to fight for freedom as he awaits his third trial, and in June, Ndume Olatushani was released on an Alford plea after serving 27 years behind bars, 19 of which were on death row.

While we are making progress around the country, injustices in the system continue. The case of Reggie Clemons in Missouri is eerily similar to Troy Davis’ case. Clemons is African-American, and the victims in the case were white. There is no physical evidence linking him to their murders, and eyewitnesses have recanted their testimony. Additionally, one of the witnesses was a former suspect.  There are also allegations in Clemons’ case of police and prosecutorial misconduct as well as jury bias. Please take action by signing this petition urging authorities to commute his sentence.

There is also the tragic case of Terrance Williams in Pennsylvania, who is scheduled to be executed on October 3. Williams suffered horrendous childhood sexual abuse, but the jury never heard about this victimization or that the men he killed had been his abusers. Five of those jurors now say they would not have sentenced Williams to death, and the widow of one of the victims has asked for his life to be spared, along with numerous judges, religious leaders, mental health professionals and children advocates. Please join them in calling for clemency by signing this petition.

Cases like those of Clemons and Williams will only continue as long as we have this broken death penalty system in place. We can honor their struggles for justice and the memory of Troy Davis by recommitting ourselves to abolition. You can get involved wherever you are by raising awareness about our severely flawed system.  You can talk with friends and family, host a speaker at your church or civic group, write a letter to the editor, and/or join or form a TADP chapter in your area. Together, we can make Troy’s vision for a world without the death penalty a reality.

(Photo courtesy of Amnesty International USA)

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 malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong heartiness 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 highly 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.

An article entitled “The Myth of Closure” in the newly released Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights‘ Fall 2012/Winter 2013 newsletter features a great interview with Jody Lynne Madeira, author of Killing McVeigh: The Death Penalty and the Myth of Closure. In it, Madeira reflects on her interviews with 13 people whose family members were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing and 20 who were survivors of the bombing.

Madeira explains that the idea that the death penalty provides closure for victims’ families is a fairly new concept that has been perpetuated in the media and used as justification for executions over the last couple of decades and doesn’t necessarily reflect how many victims feel.

“As I have listened to murder victims’ family members, I have heard a pushback against that common understanding of the term [closure],” says Madeira. “I want to harness that pushback and help give voice to it.”

Victims and their families told Madeira that they have been able to regain some control and find their voice by talking with other victims’ family members, telling their stories and getting involved in activities like helping to plan and create memorials.

TADP is grateful to MVFHR and those like Madeira who help to support and empower surviving family members of homicide. Given the protracted legal process that necessarily accompanies the death penalty, Madeira’s research leads to  more questions about the death penalty’s purpose and whether or not it, in fact, harms victims’ families, not helps them.

(Photo courtesy of MVFHR website)

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 heartiness problem such as soul 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 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.

The Sacramento Bee’s Editorial Board came out in support of death penalty repeal this week for the first time in the newspaper’s 155 year existence. In Sunday’s editorial, they outline the many flaws with the death penalty, arguing that it is a system that cannot be fixed and therefore, must be abandoned and replaced with life without parole.

The article highlights the lengthy process between conviction and execution, and the toll this takes on murder victims’ families as well as the extreme financial burden it places on taxpayers.  While there are currently 729 inmates on California’s death row, there have only been 13 executions since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1992. Although death penalty proponents argue that the process could be expedited, the Board warns against the dangers of doing so. “Yes, California could change its laws and increase spending to carry out the death penalty more expeditiously. But we might do so at the risk of executing an innocent person- arguably the worst miscarriage of justice imaginable.”

The newspaper also admits that the death penalty has not been shown to deter crime as was once believed. They urge Californians to vote “yes” on Proposition 34 this November to end the death penalty and replace it with a sentence of life without parole. The Bee joins many others who have traditionally supported the death penalty in calling for its abolition. “The death penalty in California has become an illusion, and we need to end the fiction- the sooner the better,” they write.

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 dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile malfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness 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.

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has overturned the conviction of former death row inmate Steven James Rollins, ruling that he be granted a new trial due to ineffective assistance of counsel and being denied his right to a trial by a fair and impartial jury.

Rollins was convicted and sentenced to death in 2003 for the 2001 robbery and stabbing death of James T. Bussell, the owner of Bussell’s Fisherman’s Paradise bait shop near Kingsport. In 2010, a local judge overturned Rollins’ death sentence and granted him a new sentencing hearing, but not a new trial. Rollins appealed this decision and last week the appellate court found sufficient reason to overturn his convictions and sent the case back to Sullivan County Criminal Court for a new trial. Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus said the state plans to appeal this decision to the Tennessee Supreme Court.

The appellate court agreed with Rollins’ claim that his trial attorneys failed to properly question prospective jurors and that a particular juror had apparent bias. This juror admitted in affidavits that he had known the victim and bought bait from him every week. He said “I had my mind made up as soon as they seated the jury. I could tell by looking at him that he was a crook.” He also stated his belief that “death is the only appropriate punishment” for a person convicted of murder, and adds “but no one asked me about my opinion.”

Rollins had also argued that his mental retardation exempts him from the death penalty but the appellate court declined to address this issue, stating it is a “moot point” since he will have an opportunity to make that argument if he should reach another sentencing hearing. Hopefully the Tennessee Supreme Court will uphold the appellate court’s decision and Rollins can finally have a trial with the adequate representation and fair and impartial jury that every defendant deserves.

Photo courtesy of The Kingsport Times-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 dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health 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 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.

UPDATE September 7, 2012: Yesterday, we wrote about the exciting news of Michael Keenan’s release in Ohio, making him the seventh person to walk off of Ohio’s death row. We reported that this release also made Keenan the nation’s 141st death row exoneree. However, the information we received was incorrect and we apologize. At this point in time, charges against him were dismissed, but as it so often happens in cases like this, the state said it will appeal the dismissal. This means there will be further proceedings in the legal case and that his exoneration status is yet to be determined. We are hopeful that we will soon be able to correctly report that Keenan is in fact the 141st death row exoneree in the U.S.

September 6, 2012:

After spending over two decades on Ohio’s death row for the 1988 murder of Tony Klann, Michael Keenan became the seventh exoneree from Ohio and the nation’s 141st death row exoneration when Judge John Russo dismissed all charges against him this morning.

Keenan was first tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in 1989. His conviction was thrown out due to prosecutorial misconduct in 1994. In April 2012, a federal court ruled that Keenan must be retried or freed due to newly discovered exculpatory evidence that prosecutors kept from Keenan during his previous trials.  Prosecutors chose to push forward with a third trial against Keenan that was set to begin on October 31 but removed the death penalty in an effort to obtain a plea deal. Meanwhile, Keenan’s defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss all charges, and TADP joins our colleagues at Ohioans to Stop Executions in being thrilled that Judge Russo elected to do just that today.

Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions said, “Ohio’s track record of making these kinds of mistakes is both troubling and a sharp reminder that our state routinely sends people to death row for crimes they did not commit. This is completely unacceptable.”

This wrongful conviction is yet another example of the brokenness of our death penalty system. How can we continue with a failed policy that risks innocent lives? The seven men who have been freed from death row in Ohio alone spent a combined 127 years imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Think of not only the years stolen from them and their families, but also the immense costs of incarcerating these individuals. We must remember the victims’ families and all of the prolonged pain they’ve had to endure as well. While the state spent years and numerous resources pursuing the wrong men, the real killers remained untried. How is this justice?

(Photo of Michael Keenan smiling as charges against him are dismissed this morning. Courtesy of Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer)

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 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 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 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.

Earlier this month, Voice of America conducted a video interview with  former death row inmate Shujaa Graham who was sentenced to death in California in 1976 for the killing of a prison guard during a protest. At the time, he was in prison for a robbery conviction he received when he was 18.  Graham spent five years on death row and was finally acquitted during a fourth trial, at which time his robbery conviction was also overturned.

Graham is one of the 140 individuals who have been exonerated from death row in the U.S.  He is an active member of Witness to Innocence and works to raise awareness about wrongful conviction. He has spoken in Tennessee several times, sharing his story and educating others about our broken death penalty system.

“What has happened to me is over with and done,” says Graham. “No one can bring those years back and no one can bring the psychological scars. No one can remove the physical scars. But Shujaa Graham can go on and make sure what happened to him never happens to anyone else.”

Photo of Shujaa courtesy of Scott Langley via http://shujaa.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 malfunction. 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 dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health 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.