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A Conversation With Andrea Lyon

By Steve Hall

Andrea Lyon's memoir of representing men and women facing the death penalty is Angel of Death Row.She took time this weekend to answer some questions about the book and her work: Q:  In your years of experience trying capital cases, what common themes or elements have you seen time after time?A:  Common elements are that the defendant is a member of a despised powerless class, that the victim is not (usually), and that fear is the emotion engendered by the prosecution.Q.  The death penalty's high tide seemed to peak in 1999-2000.  Since then, we've seen a general decline in the number of death sentences and executions.  What do you think the future holds?A:  I am hopeful that more and more states will abolish the death penalty also that we get to the point where the ?evolving standards of decency? which the Supreme Court found prohibited the execution of minors and those with mental retardation, also means we can no longer have executions...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on July 06, 2010 (boomark / email).