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Amnesty International Death Penalty Blog

From Amnesty International

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Last Entry: November 05, 2008 at 15:31:17

This is Our Last Post! Subscribe to the New Amnesty Blog

Posted on November 05, 2008
Dear Reader,This is our last post to the Amnesty International Death Penalty Blog. We are discontinuing our issue-based blogs to launch one new Amnesty International Blog, Human Rights Now, that will cover all human rights news and opportunities for you to make a difference...

Innocence and the death penalty

Posted on November 04, 2008
The recent execution of Gregory Wright in Texas reminds us that possible innocence will not always shield an inmate from the death chamber. Gregory Wright was convicted of murdering Donna Vick in 1997 along with accomplice John Adams. Mr. Wright consistently maintained his innocence, passed a polygraph test in which he stated that he did not murder Donna Vick, and Mr...

When Victims and their Familes are Against Capital Punishment

Posted on October 31, 2008
A district attorney in North Carolina will seek the death penalty despite opposition to capital punishment by the victim and her family. Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall announced in August that he would seek the death penalty for the murder of Eve Carson, former student-body president of the University of North Carolina...

Two stays in 24 hours!

Posted on October 24, 2008
AMAZING NEWS! Both Troy Davis and Bobby Woods were granted stays of execution! Bobby Woods' execution was stayed after his lawyers raised claims that he is mentally retarded and is legally ineliglible for execution under U.S. Supreme Court standards...

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Take Action for Gregory Wright

Posted on October 23, 2008
One of the nine inmates on death row in Texas facing execution in the next 30 days is Gregory Wright. (Bobby Woods is scheduled to be executed by Texas tonight.) Like Troy Davis, Mr. Wright has serious claims of innocence that have not been heard in court...

Global Day of Action for Troy Davis

Posted on October 22, 2008
As many of you know, Thursday, October 23 (tomorrow) is the Global Day of Action for Troy Davis. There will be rallies, demonstrations, and vigils held around the country and around the world. Find an event in your area - show your concern for and support of Troy Davis by taking ACTION! There are certainly other ways to show your support for Troy Davis - check our website for other ideas...

Execution Date Set for Troy Davis

Posted on October 16, 2008
The Georgia Authorities wasted no time in issuing a death warrant and setting October 27th as the day Troy Davis will be executed. That means we have only 10 days to make it known to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the sole authority in granting clemency in capital cases in the state, that executing a man whose case for innocence has never been heard in court is not only unjust, it is...

Appeal denied by U.S. Supreme Court

Posted on October 14, 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it has denied to hear Troy Davis' appeal, which means that the stay issued by the high court three weeks ago has expired. This essentially means that the Georgia Authorities now have the power to seek a new death warrant and, ultimately, set a new execution date for Davis...

World Day Against the Death Penalty

Posted on October 10, 2008
Today is the fifth annual World Day Against the Death Penalty. Every October 10 for the past six years, abolitionists from across the globe rally to oppose capital punishment and enforce the idea that abolition is a global struggle. This year, the focus will be on abolition in Asia, where Amnesty International estimates that there were at least 644 reported executions in 2007...

Partnership on the Death Penalty and Mental Illness

Posted on October 08, 2008
Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) have joined together to launch a national project opposing the death penalty for persons with severe mental illness. While virtually every country has banned execution of the mentally ill, and the United States Supreme Court has ruled that executing insane prisoners violates the Eighth Amendment...

Support Clemency for Richard Cooey

Posted on October 07, 2008
Richard Cooey is scheduled to be executed in Ohio next Tuesday, October 14. He was sentenced to death on December 5, 1986, after being convicted of two counts of murder by a three-judge panel. He has spent nearly 22 years on death row. Cooey's sentence is of particular concern for several reasons...

No action from Supreme Court on Troy's case

Posted on October 06, 2008
The United States Supreme Court took no action on Troy Davis's appeal and may consider the case at their next conference this Friday, October 10. If they do decide on his case on Friday, the order will be released on the next Tuesday, the 14th. We'll continue to keep you updated as we know more...

Former FBI Director urges Supreme Court to hear Troy Davis case

Posted on October 03, 2008
Former FBI Director William S. Sessions, a supporter of the death penalty, has called for the Supreme Court of the United States to grant certiorari in the Troy Davis case. Sessions, also the former Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and current member of the Constitution Project's Death Penalty Committee, acknowledged the serious nature of a...

A message from Troy Davis

Posted on September 30, 2008
Below you will find a message my brother Troy mailed to me on September 22, 2008 the night before his scheduled execution in Georgia, it was for all the people who belive in Justice and in him, so I hope you get a small glimpse of what Troy's spirit is really like...

No news is good news

Posted on September 29, 2008
We have all been waiting to hear from the US Supreme Court and, so far, there has been no news. If there is no decision from the Supreme Court by noon tomorrow (Tuesday, September 30), the death warrant for Troy will expire. There is still a possibility that the Court will decline to hear the case and a new execution date will be set...

Stay of execution!

Posted on September 23, 2008
The Supreme Court of the United States has blocked the scheduled execution of Troy Davis! The Court issued an order staying the execution until Monday to give itself time to consider his certiorari appeal. Should the Court deny the petition for the writ of certiorari, the stay will terminate automatically...

Execution of Troy Davis Tomorrow - Actions Planned

Posted on September 22, 2008
The scheduled execution of Troy Anthony Davis is now less than 24 hours away. It is important that we continue to show our disapproval of the decision to deny him clemency. Please take action today if you haven't already, and continue to spread the word...

Thank you for you continued support!

Posted on September 19, 2008
Last night's events in support of Troy Davis were a big success! The Atlanta march drew around 300 people. Amnesty International members, along with members of the NAACP and other supporters, marched through downtown Atlanta to the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where a prayer vigil was held...

Continue to take action in support of Troy Davis

Posted on September 16, 2008
In spite of the recent decision by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny Troy Davis clemency, action still can and needs to be taken on his behalf. There are two events this week to attend to show your support for Troy. For those in and around the Atlanta area, there will be a March to Save Troy Davis this Thursday, September 18 at 6 p...

Urge Board to Reconsider Clemency

Posted on September 15, 2008
In light of the troubling decision by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny clemency to Troy Davis, it makes sense that there is only one course of action to take. We will continue, tirelessly, to urge the Board to reconsider its decision! The Board has the power to revisit this decision and, possibly, reverse it...

Troy Davis: Clemency Denied

Posted on September 12, 2008
The Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles has denied clemency for Troy Anthony Davis. I planned to use this blog entry to tell you all about the amazing, beyond amazing, rally in Atlanta last night - attended by hundreds of supporters - on behalf of Troy Davis...

Execution date for Jack Alderman

Posted on September 11, 2008
Georgia has scheduled a September 16 execution date for Jack Alderman. This date is less than a week away - so please take action! You can go to www.justiceforjack.org to sign the petition right now! And please don't forget to spread the word. Thanks! Death Penalty Abolition Campaign, AIUSA

Send a text for Troy!

Posted on September 11, 2008
Got a cell phone? Text "TROY" to 90999! That's it, so easy. You will get a text message back that you can send to everyone in your phonebook to ask them to take action on behalf of Troy Davis. That's all you have to so - so send the text now! Today is the DEADLINE for taking action by sending a letter to the Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles asking that they grant...

Clemency Hearing for Troy Davis

Posted on September 08, 2008
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will hold a clemency hearing on Friday, September 12 where they will hear from the attorneys of Troy Davis. Troy is scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 23, even though his serious claims of innocence have never been heard in court...

Some Good News

Posted on September 04, 2008
While the scheduling of Troy Davis for execution (despite the fact that he has never had a hearing on the seven of nine non-police witnesses who have recanted their trial testimony) still sinks in, there is also some good news to report. In Texas, a hearing on whether a judge and prosecutor were having an affair during a death penalty trial has now been rescheduled so that it takes...

New Execution Date for Troy Davis

Posted on September 03, 2008
Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 23, even though his serious claims of innocence have never been heard in court. Take action right now to stop this execution! Troy Davis was convicted of murder solely on the basis of witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony, several...

Texas: First the Execution, Then the Hearing

Posted on August 28, 2008
Charles Dean Hood is scheduled to be executed on September 10. The good news is that a hearing has been scheduled to consider explosive evidence about the fairness of his original trial, involving allegations that the prosecutor and the judge were involved in a romantic relationship during his trial...

Child Offender Executions Continue

Posted on August 27, 2008
Yesterday, Iran executed another juvenile offender. That makes 6 so far this year (221 non-juvenile offenders have also been put to death in Iran). No other country has executed a juvenile offender this year, though a few in Saudi Arabia are at serious risk...

In Memoriam: Rachel King, 1963-2008

Posted on August 26, 2008
We are sad to announce the passing of a long-time anti-death penalty activist, who died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. Rachel achieved many great things in her short lifetime, and we will be forever grateful for her extraordinary contribution to this world...

Two Stays

Posted on August 22, 2008
Both Dennis Skillicorn and Jeff Wood have received stays of execution; in both cases, they had been sentenced to death despite the fact that they did not actually kill. But neither stay was related to that issue. In Skillicorn's case, the Missouri Supreme Court chastised the state for "obstruction of clemency advocacy", for blocking his lawyer's efforts to develop a...

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