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Nagging Doubts About the Death Penalty

By Steve Hall

That's the title of an editorial in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer. For the second time in two months, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has overridden his Parole Board, halting an execution and changing the prisoner's death sentence to life behind bars. Unlike in the earlier case of Kevin Keith, there seems to be little doubt that Sidney Cornwell committed a heinous crime: When he opened fire on a Youngstown house in 1996, Cornwell was a Crips gang member trying to intimidate a rival. Instead he killed 3-year-old Jessica Ballew. But Strickland -- who has signed off on 17 executions during his time as governor -- was troubled that Cornwell, like Keith, may not have gotten a sufficiently vigorous defense. In Cornwell's case, evidence was never heard that might have influenced the jury during the penalty phase of his trial...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on November 18, 2010 (boomark / email).