[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, PENN., VA., S.C., FLA., LA., ILL.

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 16



TEXAS:

An Unfinished Prison Story


In 1967, Danny Lyon, a young photographer from New York who had spent the 
beginning of his career documenting the civil-rights movement, was granted 
permission by the Texas Department of Corrections to photograph freely inside 
the state's penitentiaries. He spent the next 14 months among the inmates at 6 
institutions, producing a raw and revealing portrait of prison life that was 
published, in 1971, in the volume "Conversations with the Dead." Lyon wrote, in 
the book's foreword, that he had tried "to make a picture of imprisonment as 
distressing as I knew it to be."

Several of the inmates Lyon had met in the jails stood out as the book's main 
characters, especially Billy McCune, a prisoner who was convicted of raping and 
beating a woman in a Fort Worth parking lot, in 1950. Originally condemned to 
die in the electric chair - at the time, rape cases were eligible for the death 
penalty - McCune had his sentence commuted to life, in 1952, after he cut off 
his own penis on death row. Diagnosed as psychotic, he lived in a 9-by-5-foot 
cell in a prison psych ward. However, after meeting Lyon, McCune began mailing 
the photographer a series of letters and colorful drawings that revealed him to 
be a person of artistic sensitivity and intelligence. In his book - which 
included facsimiles of McCune's art and transcriptions of his letters, along 
with mug shots and prison reports on him and other inmates - Lyon wrote, 
"Sometimes I would get as many as 3 envelopes a week, and sometimes only two in 
a month. But inside there was always something incredible, something beautiful, 
something a man had painted or written from a place where nothing should grow 
.... In the letters and drawings of a supposed madman, I have found someone 
much more eloquent than I to explain to the free world what life in prison is 
like."

In the afterword to a new version of "Conversations with the Dead," just 
reissued by Phaidon, Lyon tells the chapters of McCune's story that unfolded 
after the book's initial publication. Released from prison in 1974, McCune 
visited Lyon at his home in Bernalillo, New Mexico, once, in 1982, then 
"vanished" from his life for the next 20 years. In 2000, though, Lyon received 
a letter from a nun at a homeless shelter in Kansas City, saying that McCune, a 
regular visitor to the shelter, was old and frail and hoped to see Lyon once 
more before he died. The 2 reunited in Kansas City several months later; McCune 
died in October, 2007. Reflecting on the decades since he made his remarkable 
body of work, Lyon writes, "If, back in 1968, I thought I could bring down the 
mighty walls of the Texas prison system by publishing 'Conversations with the 
Dead' and the work of Billy McCune, then those years of work are among the 
greatest failures of my life. . . . Prison is part and parcel of America, part 
of the American way. It's like a cancer inside us."

(source; The New Yorker)

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

Man convicted in 1970s Tyler killing seeks to clear name


Attorneys for a man convicted in the murder of an East Texas woman have filed 
paperwork to declare their client's innocence.

Kerry Max Cook was convicted in the 1977 killing of Linda Jo Edwards, 21, of 
Tyler. Though originally sentenced to death, Cook maintained his innocence and 
a court overturned the verdict, spurring 2 subsequent trials. The 2nd ended in 
a mistrial and the 3rd sent him back to death row.

Facing a 4th trial in 1999, with the State again pursuing the death penalty, 
Cook pleaded no contest and was granted a sentence of time served after 
spending more than 20 years on death row.

On Tuesday, Cook's lawyers, Cheryl Wattley and Steven Rosen, sought to clear 
his name based on 5 different grounds:

--That he is innocent of the rape and murder of Linda Jo Edwards

--New scientific evidence requires that Cook's conviction be vacated

--The State suppressed exculpatory evidence it possessed prior to entry of 
Cook's no-contest plea

--Cook's due process rights were violated by the State's alleged destruction of 
exculpatory evidence

--Cook's due process rights were violated by the presentation of false 
testimony from James Mayfield

The documents were filed with the 114th Judicial District Court of Smith 
County.

According to the documents, Edwards lived in the same apartment complex as Cook 
at the time of her death. Lawyers called the original accusations against him 
"bizarre and wholly unsupported," saying prosecutors' theory was that "Mr. Cook 
(who is heterosexual) was a closeted gay man who brutally raped, mutilated and 
murdered his female neighbor in an act of 'lust' and rage over his own 
so-called 'sexual ambivalence.'"

Lawyers argue that new post-conviction DNA testing supports Cook's claim of 
innocence, saying that of the tests conducted on dozens of samples and cuttings 
from evidence at the scene, none yielded a trace of his DNA.

Instead, lawyers say the tests connected another man, James Mayfield, to the 
incident. The documents allege DNA tests revealed Mayfield's semen was present 
on a pair of Edwards' torn underwear. Mayfield was Edwards' married former 
lover and testified at Cook's original trial.

Cook's attorneys allege that Mayfield "had both motive and opportunity to 
commit the crime."

The tests conducted were not available at the time of Cook's 1999 no contest 
plea, Wattley and Rosen say.

"In light of the record as a whole, this new scientific evidence establishes 
... that Cook would not have been convicted had it been available at the time 
of his plea in February 1999," the documents read.

(source: KSLA news)






PENNSYLVANIA:

Why Philly is the Perfect Place for the Pope to Denounce the Death Penalty


I guess there is no bad place to call for an end to execution. But 
Philadelphia, the City of Love, is a really divine place for his Holiness to 
denounce death.

Just this year, Governor Tom Wolf announced a halt on all executions in 
Pennsylvania, citing deep concerns about errors and biases inherent in the 
system.

A recent study shows that a majority of death sentences are coming from only 2% 
of US counties. Philadelphia County has the third largest death row population 
of any county, and we have THE highest rate of overturned death sentences in 
the country.

Studies consistently show that the race of the victim, the county where a crime 
is committed and access to financial resources often determine who will get the 
death penalty more than the severity of the crime. As death penalty lawyer 
Bryan Stevenson, founder of Equal Justice Initiative, has said: "When it comes 
to the death penalty, you are better off being guilty and rich than poor and 
innocent."

We now have over 150 people who have been released from death row because of 
new evidence - the latest only this past week. Montez Spradley, sentenced to 
death in Alabama only to be freed from prison a decade later... innocent of the 
crime for which he was almost executed. Even tomorrow, Oklahoma plans to 
execute Richard Glossip whose case is riddled with errors, causing many to 
believe he is innocent (over 250,000 have signed the petition asking for his 
life to be spared). Like Spradley, Glossip is being convicted solely on the 
testimony of one witness (who confessed to the crime and got life), and with no 
physical evidence linking Glossip to the crime.

6 of those 155 exonerations stories are from Pennsylvania -- people who could 
have been wrongfully executed.

That means for every nine executions carried out in the United States, one 
person has been found to be innocent. What if an airline crashed one out of 
every 10 flights?

So this is the time to abolish the death penalty.

Despite having one of the largest death rows in the country -- with 184 inmates 
-- Pennsylvania has been losing steam when it comes to actually executing 
people. We've had only three executions since the reinstatement of the death 
penalty in 1976, and the last execution was in 1999... a trend we see around 
the country. It may be that we are finally ready to find better forms of 
justice than the death penalty.

In 2014, just 7 states carried out executions -- 3 of which accounted for 80 % 
of them (Texas, Missouri and Florida). Last year, death sentences in the United 
States hit a 40-year low, and executions were at a 20-year low.

Recent polls show that for the 1st time in decades a majority of Americans 
prefer life in prison over the death penalty. And this is even more pronounced 
among young people -- including young people of faith, who are deeply troubled 
that 85 % of executions take place in the Bible Belt. Another great reason the 
Pope's voice is desperately needed on this issue - after all, Catholics have 
had a consistent ethic of life that shapes their thinking on issues like 
capital punishment... and many evangelicals are resonating with that seamless 
garment of a consistent life ethic.

Victims' groups, such as Journey of Hope, Murder Victims' Families for 
Reconciliation and the Forgiveness Project, are gaining traction as they insist 
that capital punishment creates a new set of victims and perpetuates violence 
instead of healing. As you listen to them, you can't help but be convinced that 
we can do better than killing to show that killing is wrong.

Just this year we saw Nebraska become the f1st conservative-led state in 40 
years to abolish the death penalty - and several may be right behind. In many 
states, political conservatives concerned about the high cost of the death 
penalty are leading the way, pointing out that all the money wasted on the 
death penalty could be better used to support victims, prevent crime and repair 
broken schools and families.

Pennsylvania -- home of the original U.S. Capitol, the birthplace of American 
democracy, the iconic site of the Declaration of Independence-- holds an 
important place in American history. And a part of that history is that our 
Commonwealth was founded by Quakers, who had abolished slavery in 1688, nearly 
200 years before it was brought to an end. And it was the Quakers who denounced 
the death penalty long before the rest of us, insisting that better forms of 
justice are possible.

I can't help but think old William Penn would be proud of Gov.Wolf earlier this 
year as he made his announcement to halt all executions. Penn was a pacifist 
and a serious skeptic of capital punishment. His Quaker heritage held that 
every human being carries the essence of God, and that no one should ever take 
the life of another, not even the state.

As Pope Francis leads worship on JFK Boulevard in the heart of Philadelphia, a 
statue of William Penn will be looking down on him from atop City Hall... and I 
can't help but think our Quaker forefather will be smiling - especially as Pope 
Francis continues to insist that every person carries the image of God in 
them... and that no one is beyond redemption.

I look forward to the end of the death penalty, and I hope we get one step 
closer to it as the Pope comes to the City of Love.

(source: Shane Claiborne, Founder and board member of The Simple 
Way----Huffington Post)

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

Death Penalty Sought Against Former Delco Police Officer


A former Colwyn, Delaware County police officer now faces the death penalty if 
convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and trying to gun down her husband and 
daughter.

He pleaded not guilty today.

Seeking capital punishment in Delaware County.

"We only do it in rare cases."

District Attorney Jack Whelan says Stephen Rozniakowski deserves it for the 
bloodshed 10 days before this past Christmas at Valerie Morrow's house in 
Glenolden, just hours after she'd taken out a protection from abuse order 
against him.

"He had a callous disregard for that court order, and went and carried out the 
execution with the intent to kill all 3 family members."

Morrow's husband was awakened and shot back. And despite the attack on her mom 
and the bullet wound in her arm, Morrow's 15-year-old daughter took action.

"She was able to knock the gun out of his hand, run down the steps, and flee to 
safety."

She watched in court, scarred but not scared, as Rozniakowski was arraigned.

(source: CBS news)

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

DA to seek death penalty against ex-officer charged in death


Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty in the case of a former suburban 
Philadelphia police officer accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and wounding 
her daughter.

32-year-old Stephen Rozniakowski of Norwood is charged in Delaware County with 
criminal homicide murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault.

District Attorney Jack Whelan said Tuesday he would seek capital punishment if 
Rozniakowski is convicted of 1st-degree murder, citing a protection from abuse 
order, risk to another person and another felony at the time of the slaying.

Authorities alleged that the part-time Colwyn officer killed Valerie Morrow and 
shot her daughter in December in Glenolden before he was wounded by the 
victim's husband, a part-time Morton officer.

Whelan also said he believed the state Supreme Court would nullify the 
governor's moratorium on the death penalty.

(source: Associated Press)






VIRGINIA:

Attorneys say Ricky Gray 'remorseful' for Harvey murders


Lawyers for Ricky Gray, the man sentenced to death for the 2006 New Year's Day 
murders in Richmond, told a judge their client is "remorseful" for his actions.

Attorneys argued his case in federal court Tuesday. Gray was convicted in the 
brutal murders of the Harvey family. The family was robbed and found slain in 
their Woodland Heights home, which was set on fire.

In a brief filed in April, Gray's lawyers say he should be able to argue that 
his trial lawyers did not perform to acceptable standards. The court now has 
120 days to consider the claims.

Gray was convicted in a series of murders that grabbed national attention 
because of the brutality and number of victims. The youngest were sisters 
Stella and Ruby Harvey.

Gray, with the help of Ray Dandridge, also killed the girls' parents, Bryan and 
Kathryn. A week later, Percyell Tucker, his wife Mary and their daughter, 
Ashley Baskerville - who was an accomplice in the Harveys' murder - were also 
killed.

Gray was sentenced to death for the girls' murders.

(source: WWBT news)

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

Roberts' Attorneys Work To Block Death Penalty; 4-Month Trial Eyed


Preparations for the 1st capital murder trial in Loudoun in 3 decades continued 
in Circuit Court on Monday when defense attorneys again pressed to remove the 
possibility of a death penalty for Anthony R. Roberts.

Roberts, 26, was indicted in February on 5 counts of capital murder and other 
crimes in connection with the 2009 killing of William Bennett and the beating 
of his wife Cynthia in Lansdowne.

In court Monday, defense attorneys argued that the wording of the grand jury 
indictments failed to include enough information to allow the death penalty to 
be considered and prosecutors pressed for Judge Thomas D. Horne to set a date 
for the trial, which could take four months to complete.

In arguing that Roberts should only face the possibility of life in prison, his 
attorneys pointed to a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that the charging 
documents must include all the elements required for defendants to have notice 
of the maximum charge they face. In that case, Alleyne v. United States, the 
defendant was charged and found guilty by a jury of carrying a firearm during a 
crime of violence. The judge then also applied a conviction for brandishing a 
firearm, which carried a 5-year mandatory sentence. The opinion by Justice 
Clarence Thomas found that the charging documents in the Alleyne case did not 
include elements permitting conviction on the brandishing charge. Roberts' 
attorneys said the Loudoun indictments were required to identify the 
aggravating factors required for a death sentence in Virginia.

Prosecutors said the indictments for capital murder incorporate the possibility 
of the death penalty and noted the voluminous record of motions in the case in 
which the defense requested additional resources and support specifically 
because the death penalty was a possibility.

If Horne grants the motion, the maximum sentence Roberts would face would be 
life without parole, unless prosecutors seek new indictments.

Horne told the attorneys he would issue a written ruling on the case.

The defense also is continuing its examination of the grand jury selection 
system to determine whether they will argue that jurors were not selected from 
a fair cross section of the community. They asked for 6 years of records 
relating to Loudoun's jury pool, including returned jury surveys and the names 
of individuals who were identified by the jury commissioners and the chief 
judge as being qualified to serve. Horne approved the request for the 
information.

According to information provided in court, the 2015 grand jury, the pool 
started with about 15,000 qualified residents who returned surveys and was 
narrowed to 300 at random by computer. The chief judge cut that list in 1/2 and 
7 grand jury members were selected at random. Information available to the 
commissioners and the judge did not include information such as race, ethnic 
background or gender.

County prosecutors have been pressing for several months for the setting of a 
trial date, while defense attorneys argued it was too soon to know the full 
scope of the case. On Monday, the 2 sides told Horne they expect the trial and 
sentencing to take 3 or 4 months.

They envision 4 to 6 weeks for the trial and then, if Roberts is found guilty 
of capital offenses, another 2 months to present evidence during the sentencing 
phase when jurors would decide whether to send him to death row.

The defense attorneys again urged Horne to delay setting a trial date until at 
least December because of the large amount of evidence turned over by 
prosecutors last month.

A decision could come Sept. 24, when another motions hearing is scheduled.

(source: Leesburg Today)






SOUTH CAROLINA:

Judge to weigh arguments on gag order in Dylann Roof murder case


For more than 2 months, a judge's gag order has stopped officials from 
releasing more public records about the shooting that killed nine people at 
Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.

On Wednesday, attorneys for the victims' families, church officials, news media 
and the federal government will discuss whether those restrictions should 
continue.

Ninth Circuit Judge J.C. Nicholson issued the order in mid-July without a 
request from anyone involved in the prosecution of Dylann Roof, who faces the 
death penalty in the June 17 attack. Roof, 21, also is charged with federal 
hate crimes and religious freedom violations that could be punishable through 
execution.

Nicholson made the move without anyone's input, he said, because he was worried 
about the effects that 911 calls and crime-scene photographs would have on 
victims' loved ones and survivors. He also worried that releasing such 
information would somehow harm the police agencies involved with the case, he 
said.

Dispatch recordings, including 911 calls, and police supplemental reports are 
routinely made public after violent crimes. They often shed light on 
authorities' response to crimes.

In the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, The Post and 
Courier asked for copies of the Charleston Police Department reports and audio 
recordings through a S.C. Freedom of Information Act request. The newspaper did 
not inquire about photos of the scene.

Nicholson welcomed input on his gag order, and he got it from 7 groups, 
including one made up of the newspaper and other news media who filed FOIA 
requests with investigators.

Wednesday's 9:30 a.m. hearing at the downtown Charleston County Judicial Center 
will give attorneys for the seven a chance to orally argue positions they 
already laid out in court filings.

The last time Nicholson discussed his order publicly during a July 16 
proceeding, Roof appeared at the courthouse in person.

(source: The Post and Courier)






FLORIDA:

Tisdale jury selection: Potential jurors screened for trial Tuesday


Jury selection for the trial of Eriese Tisdale, who is accused of killing a law 
enforcement officer, crawled along Tuesday with a small group of potential 
jurors returning after a day of answering questions.

Tisdale, 28, is accused of gunning down St. Lucie County Sheriff's Sgt. Gary 
Morales on Feb. 28, 2013, during a traffic stop on Naylor Terrace, south of 
Edwards Road in Fort Pierce.

He's never denied shooting Morales to authorities, but has claimed his actions 
were in self-defense. He's pleaded not guilty to 1st-degree murder and other 
offenses and faces the death penalty if convicted.

On Tuesday, Tisdale entered court in a black jacket, khakis, a blue dress shirt 
and tie and leg irons. He spent the day watching potential jurors answer a host 
of questions about what they knew of Morales' killing and what media exposure 
they'd had since the homicide.

Several men and women were dismissed for saying they'd made up their mind about 
Tisdale's guilt and couldn't set their opinions aside. Some others were 
dismissed after telling prosecutors and defense attorneys they were unable to 
sit in judgment of another charged with a crime.

Jury panelists were asked about their ability to serve on a death penalty trial 
and what would be expected of them. Some people expressed religious reasons for 
being against capital punishment or said they were unwilling to follow the law 
and vote to recommend capital punishment.

At the end of the day, 32 people were dismissed from the trial and 10 were told 
to return for more questions. 1 man never returned from a lunch break, 
something that was not missed by Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn, who asked that the 
man be contacted.

A group of 24 will return Wednesday to go through the same process.

Court officials have scheduled another group of 125 potential jurors to undergo 
questioning Thursday.

A jury of 12 plus alternates are required for a death penalty trial. The panel 
will determine guilt during a phase expected to last a week.

If Tisdale is convicted of 1st-degree murder, the jury will break for three 
days then return for a weeklong penalty phase. It's then they'll decide whether 
to recommend, by a majority vote, execution or life in prison without the 
possibility of parole. A judge makes the final decision, but must give great 
weight to the jury's recommendation.

Court resumes Wednesday at 8:45 a.m.

(source: tcpalm.com)

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

Sentencing phase begins today in Miami Subs founder's murder case


A Broward jury returns to court this morning to determine whether the man 
convicted of arranging the 2001 murder of Miami Subs founder Gus Boulis should 
be executed for the crime.

Anthony "Big Tony" Moscatiello was convicted July 1 of one count of 1st-degree 
murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The same jury that convicted him will 
now decide whether to recommend life in prison or the death penalty.

The jury's recommendation does not have to be unanimous, and it is only binding 
if the majority votes for life in prison. If a death sentence is recommended, 
Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes will decide whether to accept or reject it.

No matter what the outcome, prosecutors and defense lawyers agree that 
Moscatiello will likely die in prison. He's 77 now, and the appeals process in 
death penalty cases typically lasts decades.

"What's the deterrent value, really?" his lawyer, Ken Malnik, said after 
Moscatiello's conviction. "If he's alive, he'll be so infirm, it really makes 
no sense."

Prosecutors say the death penalty is appropriate under the circumstances of the 
case, regardless of the defendant's age.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, the oldest inmate to be 
executed in Florida was Charlie Grifford, 72, who was put to death on Feb. 21, 
1951. Ten months earlier, Grifford shot and killed a Florida state 
representative, Charles J. Schuh Jr., in the victim's office in Pinellas 
County.

The oldest inmate on Florida's death row currently is Theodore Rogers, 75, who 
was convicted of the 2001 murder of his wife, Teresa Henderson, in Orange 
County.

Boulis, 51, was gunned down on Feb. 6, 2001, while driving away from his office 
in Fort Lauderdale. Months earlier, he had sold his SunCruz Casino boat fleet 
to a business partnership in a deal that turned out to be fraudulent. One of 
the new owners, Adam Kidan, testified that he hired Moscatiello for mob 
protection from Boulis, but prosecutors said Moscatiello decided on his own to 
protect his income stream by killing Boulis.

The man thought to be the shooter, John Gurino, was killed in an unrelated 
shooting in Boca Raton 2 years later.

Moscatiello's 2 co-defendants have already been sentenced. Anthony "Little 
Tony" Ferrari was tried and convicted of murder and conspiracy in 2013. He was 
sentenced to life in prison.

James "Pudgy" Fiorillo pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit murder 
and was sentenced to 6 years, which he had already served. He testified against 
both Ferrari and Moscatiello.

Jurors will hear testimony from prosecutors and the defense today and Thursday 
before deliberating over Moscatiello's recommended punishment.

(source: Sun-Sentinel)

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

Death penalty sought for 'Big Tony' in businessman's slaying


Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Anthony "Big Tony" Moscatiello 
for orchestrating a 2001 mob hit on a prominent South Florida businessman.

Moscatiello was convicted in July of 1st-degree murder and murder conspiracy in 
the fatal shooting of Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis during a dispute over a fleet 
of lucrative gambling ships. Trial evidence showed Boulis was shot by a hit man 
hired by Moscatiello, a reputed member of New York's Gambino crime family.

The sentencing phase starts Tuesday in Broward County Circuit Court.

A jury will recommend either life in prison or the death penalty for 
Moscatiello, but the final decision rests with the judge. Co-defendant Anthony 
"Little Tony" Ferrari was also convicted and is serving a life sentence.

Boulis also founded the Miami Subs restaurant chain.

(source: Associated Press)






LOUISIANA:

Caddo District Attorney assembles committee for death penalty consideration


Keandre Broadway had just celebrated his 13th birthday 1 day prior, when he was 
hit by a stray bullet. It was a wound that claimed his life.

Acting Caddo District Attorney Dale Cox thought the man suspected of firing the 
fatal shot, Antonious Cawthorne, would face the death penalty for his alleged 
crime, but a recent policy change means Cawthorne escapes the possibility of 
capital punishment.

"They were cases that could have been 1st degree murder and could have been 
eligible for the death penalty but we chose not to," Cox said of the office's 
recently-assembled death penalty committee.

While the district attorney typically has sole discretion on when to seek the 
death penalty, Cox is trying something new. Cox has put together a committee of 
the office's most experience murder trial lawyers -- men, woman, black and 
white -- who decide together when to seek the death penalty.

The committee's looked at 3 murder cases -- including Cawthorne's -- and each 
time decided to forgo the death option.

"We didn't want 1 person having that much power because the death penalty is 
the ultimate penalty," Cox said.

State Public Defender Jay Dixon says he doesn't know enough about the Caddo 
committee to comment officially, but he says -- in general -- it would seem the 
more people involved, the better, and he disagrees with one person holding sole 
power.

Cox came under fire recently with write-ups in the New York Times, New Yorker, 
and an upcoming 60 Minutes piece, each criticizing or expected to criticize his 
frequent and passionate use of the death penalty. He says the committee is not 
a direct reaction to the national attention, but he is cognizant of community 
support.

"Before we all agree as a state -- as a DA's office -- to seek it, I want to 
make sure it's the kind of case that truly reflects the need for it, and the 
kind of case that the community would accept." Cox said.

Cox's new committee goes over evidence, arguments and strategies, considering a 
suspect's age, education and mental health history. Cox says the meetings take 
hours and can be very thorough. They try to take into account the individual 
case and outside parties, like the victim's family and public at large.

"You'd be surprised -- because I've been surprised -- how many victim's 
families do not want the death penalty," Cox said.

The committee will meet again this Thursday, Sept.17 at 3 PM to examine the 
evidence against Grover Cannon in the Aug. 5 shooting death of Shreveport 
Police Ofc. Thomas LaValley.

(source: KTBS news)



ILLINOIS:

Professor Argues Death Penalty Effectiveness


Some Illinois criminology experts are asking lawmakers to hold off on trying to 
reinstate capital punishment in Illinois.

State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) says he'll introduce the idea in a couple of 
weeks when the Senate returns - he says the worst of the worst, including cop 
killers and mass murderers, should be dealt with harshly.

But Ryan Williams, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University 
of Illinois Springfield, says there's no evidence capital punishment is a 
deterrent.

"Decades of research has shown there's little to no effect that capital 
punishment deters any more than an alternative non-capital punishment like life 
in prison without parole," Williams says.

Williams also says cost arguments are suspect at best - while it costs a lot to 
incarcerate someone for life, it also costs a lot to conduct a death penalty 
trial. Williams says cases in Texas, for example, cost an average of 2.3 
million dollars.

(source: WBGZ news)