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Rep. Hank Johnson Introduces Bill to protect innocent Americans from Execution

By "Persian Cowboy"

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), along with Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers [D-MI], Crime Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott [D-VA], Rep. Anthony Weiner [D-NY] , Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee [D-TX], and Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis [D-GA] today introduced the Effective Death Penalty Appeals Act (H.R. 3986), which would ensure that death row inmates have the opportunity to present newly discovered evidence of innocence. Under current law, an inmate on death row can be stranded with no procedural options to appeal a conviction, even if there is compelling new evidence that he or she is innocent.The Effective Death Penalty Appeals Act would:(1) empower federal courts to grant habeas corpus relief for a prisoner on death row who presents newly discovered evidence that demonstrates probable innocence; and(2) allow prisoners on death row to file successive federal habeas petitions if, and only if, they present newly discovered evidence that a panel of federal judges rules may be reasonably expected to demonstrate innocence...continue to full post

Full post as published by Texas Death Penalty Blog on November 06, 2009 (boomark / email).