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Oyez, oyez!   Urgent Actions and Appeals

[This comes from Roland and Mary Duerksen in Oxford via Beth.]

The Miami summer reading program and the Fall Convocation (Millett Hall, 1:30 p.m., August 20) deal with the issue of the death penalty.

This Action Message is originally from the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a political action lobby group based in Washington, D.C.

ENDING THE DEATH PENALTY: Concerns about the fallibility of the criminal prosecution system have created an opening for work on ending the death penalty. Most importantly, the current environment has created an opportunity for dialog and education.

ACTION: Contact your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor both the Innocence Protection Act (S 486/HR 912) and the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act (S 233/HR 1038). Discuss your concerns about the death penalty. Emphasize that a variety of people, both death penalty supporters and opponents, agree that the current system is flawed.

BACKGROUND: Many individuals who are concerned about fairness and accuracy in death sentences seek reforms and safeguards to reduce the likelihood of executing an innocent person. As they confront the issue of changing the criminal prosecution system, we expect that a number of these individuals will recognize that no amount of tinkering can ever make the criminal prosecution system completely fair and accurate. Inequalities in the application of penalties (including the death penalty) will always remain, as will the possibility of executing innocent persons. We believe that individuals who come to this point in their thinking will recognize that the only way to eliminate the injustice of the death penalty is to eliminate the death penalty, itself.

We believe that an effective approach to ending the federal death penalty is to work for passage of two bills currently before Congress, neither of which would, itself, abolish the death penalty. Both pieces of legislation will promote the dialog and education that we view as essential, ultimately, to abolishing the death penalty.

The Innocence Protection Act of 2001(IPA) was introduced in the Senate (S 486) by Sens. Leahy (VT), Smith (OR), and Collins (ME). A companion bill (HR 912) was introduced in the House by Reps. Delahunt (MA) and Lahood (IL). The IPA has two major sets of provisions.

     *Exonerating the innocent through DNA testing. Federal courts would be required to preserve biological evidence for possible future use, and to make it easier for all inmates to gain access to DNA evidence, have it tested, and use the results to challenge their convictions. States would have to meet these same requirements as a condition for receiving certain federal grants.

     *Ensuring competent legal services in capital cases. The IPA would establish a National Commission on Capital Representation to determine minimum competency standards for court-appointed defense attorneys in capital cases and would provide grants to help implement those standards.

     *Additional provisions deal with compensation for individuals unjustly imprisoned; and increase the accountability of the Attorney General in cases where the federal death penalty is sought in a state without the death penalty.

The National Death Penalty Moratorium Act was introduced in the Senate (S 233) by Sens. Feingold (WI), Levin (MI), Wellstone (MN), and Corzine (NJ). A companion bill (HR 1038) was introduced in the House by Rep. Jackson (IL). S 233/HR 1038 would place a moratorium on federal executions (only) while a National Commission on the Death Penalty reviews the fairness of the imposition of the death penalty.

CONTACTING LEGISLATORS

Sen. Mike DeWine, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510

Sen. George Voinovich, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510

Rep. John Boehner, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (to reach any office)

CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION

President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 20500

White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461

E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov

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