[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----OHIO, TENN.

[Rick Halperin]

March 30








OHIO:

Report: 3 sentenced to death in Ohio in 2014



An annual report on capital punishment in Ohio says three people were condemned 
to die last year, bringing the total number under Ohio's 1981 law to 323 death 
sentences.

The report by Attorney General Mike DeWine says 53 inmates have been executed, 
19 have had their sentences reduced to prison time, and 26 have died before 
execution from suicide or natural causes.

The report released Monday says Ohio has 146 active death penalty cases, 
including James Conway of Columbus, who received two death sentences for 
different slayings.

Death sentences are increasingly rare in Ohio and nationwide as prosecutors 
file fewer death penalty cases and juries choose the option of life without 
parole.

No executions are scheduled this year.

(source: Associated Press)

*****************************

Backup of killers awaiting execution is building



Midway through Ohio's 2-year death penalty moratorium, a backup of men awaiting 
execution is building.

There are 20 inmates either scheduled for execution or for whom prosecutors are 
seeking execution dates from the Ohio Supreme Court, according to the Capital 
Crimes Annual Report released today by Attorney General Mike DeWine.

State law requires the attorney general to submit a summary of Ohio's capital 
punishment activity annually by April 1.

Capital punishment ground to a halt following the troubled execution of Dennis 
McGuire on Jan. 16, 2014. State officials scrambled to come up with a new drug 
supply to replace the 2 used for the 1st time to kill McGuire.

Instead, they were forced to change state law. Prison officials can now sign 
secret contracts with "compounding pharmacies" to provide execution drugs. 
Lawsuits remain pending in which death row inmates are contesting the 
lethal-injection process.

The changes prompted Gov. John Kasich to push back the entire execution 
schedule until next year. The 1st man slated to die using the new protocol is 
Ronald Phillips, of Summit County on Jan. 21, 2016. There are 10 more 
executions scheduled thorough the end of next year, including 3 killers from 
Franklin County: Alva Campbell (March 23, 2016), Warren Henness (June 22, 2016) 
and Kareem Jackson (Sept. 21, 2016), DeWine's report said.

There are 9 other inmates for whom prosecutors have requests pending with the 
Ohio Supreme Court to set execution dates. None are from central Ohio.

DeWine's report said Ohio has issued 323 death sentences since 1981 and 
executed 53 people who killed 85 victims, including 19 children. The average 
age of those executed was 46; they spent an average 16.6 years on death row.

There were 19 death sentences commuted to life without parole by 4 governors. 
Republican Gov. John Kasich commuted 5 as did Democrat Ted Strickland. Bob 
Taft, a Republican, commuted 1 sentence, and Democrat Richard F. Celeste 
commuted 8.

The report said 26 inmates died while awaiting execution, including Billy 
Slagle, who committed hung himself in his cell shortly before his execution in 
2013. There were 69 cases removed from death row because of court action.

Meanwhile, Ohioans to Stop Executions issued its annual report today which it 
said reflects a declining use of capital punishment.

"What we see is the institution of the death penalty crumbling before our 
eyes," said Kevin Werner, executive director.

(source: Columbus Dispatch)








TENNESSEE:

Time to reconsider the death penalty



Last week, Utah's governor signed into law a bill allowing the use of the 
firing squad for executions.

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West, y'all.

What spurred them to do this?

It seems that the drug manufacturers in Europe won't sell the drugs if they 
know they will be used to kill people.

This is Utah's way of continuing the ridiculousness that is state killing.

In just a few days, Christians will celebrate Good Friday, when Christ himself 
was a victim of state killing, the one who stopped a woman from execution, the 
one who said forgive, not just 1 time, but 70 times 7, and love your enemies.

Yet so many Christians forget the message of their God, the message of 
compassion and love. Besides, most studies show it is more expensive to execute 
people than to have them imprisoned for life.

Fiscal conservatives, take note! Instead of killing people who kill people to 
show people that killing people is wrong, states like Utah and Tennessee should 
invest that money in preventing violent crimes in the first place by spending 
that wasted money on things like law enforcement, education, mental health and 
mentoring for at-risk youth.

This would be a much better use of our tax dollars and would promote the common 
good instead of revenge.

Brent Fernandez, Nashville

(source: Letter to the Editor, The Tennessean)