A seven-month moratorium on nationwide executions ended on May 7, when Georgia executed William Lynd. On April 16, the US Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the lethal combination of 3 drugs used in most American executions, which opponents had argued risked inflicting unnecessary pain.
Tragically, many states, including Texas, have since rushed to schedule execution dates. To no one’s surprise, Texas leads the way, already scheduling 12 executions, with Virginia setting 4 dates, followed by Louisiana with 2, and Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and South Dakota setting one execution date a piece. It is anticipated that the nation might have as many as 60-70 executions this year.
Last year, 42 people (including 26 here in Texas) were put to death across America, the lowest number since 1994 when 31 people were executed. But even though that number is sadly going to be surpassed this year as the nation continues its headlong rush to kill, we must remember that the overall trend of death sentencing in the US is declining and that disapproval/questioning of the death penalty is increasing.
It is clear that many (more) people are, and should be, deeply troubled by the inherent structural problems of the death penalty institution and its processes. Soaring costs, continued evidence of nationwide prosecutorial and police misconduct in capital cases, frequent poor legal representation, innocence, and racism are only some of the many factors impacting the judicial process when it comes time to decide who lives and who dies.
TCADP will continue its dedication to ending the death penalty in Texas, working with all segments of society who share this goal. Folks must re-dedicate themselves to this task and to realize that this difficult struggle needs more people to help make abolition a reality.
Join us NOW!
Rick Halperin
President, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
(taken from the TCADP - Newsletter Summer 2008)
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