[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, MO., NEB., USA

[Rick Halperin]

April 15


TEXAS----execution

Texas Executes San Antonio Man for Killing Police Officer


A San Antonio man who fatally shot a SWAT team member with the officer's own 
gun more than 14 years ago was executed Wednesday, the sixth convicted murderer 
put to death in Texas so far this year.

Manuel Garza Jr. received a lethal injection of pentobarbital for killing San 
Antonio Police Officer John "Rocky" Riojas in February 2001. The U.S. Supreme 
Court had refused in November to review his case, and no last-day appeals were 
filed before his execution.

Asked to make a final statement, Garza said he was sorry for causing pain to 
his family, friends and "especially police officers."

"Y'all probably hate me," he said, looking at three friends of his victim, 
dressed in their navy blue San Antonio police uniforms. He wished them "peace 
and love and hope y'all find God like I have and I'll see you on the other 
side."

As the lethal drug began taking effect, Garza uttered: "Here it comes!" His 
voice rose as he said "Goodbye," and then he let out a howl that was cut short 
within seconds as he took 3 deep breaths, then a couple of shallow ones. He was 
pronounced dead 26 minutes later at 6:40 p.m. CDT.

Garza, 35, already had a long criminal record at age 20 when he was stopped by 
Riojas, who was part of a team targeting property crimes at apartment 
complexes. Garza ran off and witnesses say that when Riojas caught up with him, 
the two struggled and Garza grabbed the officer's gun.

Riojas, 37, was fatally shot in the head. Witnesses said Garza put Riojas' gun 
in his pants, cursed at the fallen officer, and ran away.

Garza was apprehended a day later at his sister's apartment after an informant 
told detectives that someone had tried to sell him the officer's missing 
semi-automatic service weapon.

In a statement to detectives, Garza blamed Riojas.

"I truly think this was the cop's fault," he said. "I don't see why he wanted 
to pull out his gun."

Garza said he initially ran because he feared the officer would discover he was 
wanted on outstanding warrants.

"I didn't want to go to jail," he said.

While being escorted to a holding cell after his arrest, court documents 
described Garza as cocky and smirking. He used obscenity-laced language to tell 
officers they were "lucky I didn't get y'all ... too."

The San Antonio Police Officers Association provided buses for officers to make 
the 200-mile-trip to Huntsville. Several dozen police officers were outside the 
prison Wednesday evening, and stood at attention and saluted as Riojas' sister 
- who also is with the San Antonio department and watched Garza die - and the 
officer-witnesses emerged.

"We want them to see we do care and the salute is a form of respect," said Mike 
Helle, president of the association.

But Helle, who was in the same police academy training class with Riojas, said 
the execution "doesn't bring back my classmate and my friend."

Defense attorneys had said the shooting was accidental and Garza was a product 
of childhood neglect and abuse. In a 2013 failed appeal, attorney Michael Gross 
said Garza's family encouraged him to break the law.

His criminal record began at age 14, and included burglaries, thefts, escape 
from custody and leading police on a stolen car chase.

Texas carries out the death penalty more than any other state. Garza was the 
1st inmate executed with a new supply of pentobarbital recently obtained by 
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials that would allow his and 2 other 
lethal injections scheduled for this month to be carried out.

If the other 2 take place, the state prison agency once again will have to 
replenish its inventory of the scarce drug or find a new chemical to 
accommodate at least 2 more scheduled executions beginning next month.

Drug manufacturers, under pressure from death penalty opponents, have been 
withholding their products for use in capital punishment.

Garza becomes the 6th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Texas 
and the 524th overall since the state resumed capital punishment on December 7, 
1982. Garza becomes the 6th condemned inmate to be put to death since Greg 
Abbott became Governor of Texas earlier this year.

Garza becomes the 13th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA 
and the 1407th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977. 
(sources: Associated Press & Rick Halperin)






MISSOURI:

Missouri Catholic bishops call for ending the death penalty in letter to Nixon


In a letter hand-delivered Wednesday morning to Gov. Jay Nixon, Attorney 
General Chris Koster, Missouri Supreme Court justices and Missouri General 
Assembly members, Roman Catholic bishops once again called for the end of the 
death penalty.

"We, the Catholic bishops of Missouri, write this open letter to express grave 
concern with the rapid acceleration of executions in recent months. Since 
November 2013, Missouri has executed 15 individuals, nearly 1 a month," write 
Archbishop Robert Carlson, Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City - St. Joseph, 
Bishop John Gaydos of Jefferson City, and Bishop James Johnston of 
Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

The letter comes one day after the state executed a Normandy man, Andre Cole, 
52, for a 1998 killing.

"Pleas for clemency are ignored, even when defendants are profoundly impaired 
by severe mental illness or traumatic brain injury."

The bishops also express concern that race and an inadequate defense counsel 
too often play roles in the justice process.

The bishops point out that Pope Francis has also urged an end to the use of the 
death penalty, noting that "[h]uman justice is imperfect, and the failure to 
recognize its fallibility can transform it into a source of injustice."

"Just as we see the likeness of God in an innocent child, we must learn to see 
the same in a criminal, even as we condemn the sin committed. Out of a desire 
for retribution, we must not surrender the belief that all human life is 
sacred," the bishops write.

"Christians, together with people of other faith traditions, realize that the 
human person is capable of repentance and great change. Yet by its irrevocable 
nature, the death penalty denies this reality."

(source: stlouistoday.com)






NEBRASKA:

On eve of repeal debate, 6 Republican lawmakers push for ending death penalty


6 Republican state senators declared Wednesday it's time to end capital 
punishment in Nebraska on the eve of what's expected to be a prolonged debate 
over a repeal bill.

The senators are among the 9 conservative lawmakers who have signed on as 
co-sponsors of a bill that would replace lethal injection with life in prison 
without the possibility of parole. At press conference organized by 
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, the senators underscored that 
opposition to capital punishment no longer falls solely in the realm of liberal 
politics.

"If capital punishment were any other program that was so inefficient and so 
costly to the taxpayer, we would have gotten rid of it a long time ago," said 
Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln.

Supporters of Legislative Bill 268, introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, 
will probably need every vote they can get. Debate begins as soon as Thursday, 
and 33 votes are needed to cut off the likely filibuster.

Death penalty backers have filed 9 amendments. Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion 
has proposed an amendment that would replace lethal injection with the firing 
squad. Kintner said he will not be swayed by fellow Republicans coming out in 
support of repeal.

"Liberals spend all kinds of money fighting an execution and then they come 
back and say the death penalty costs too much," he said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts also has promised to veto a repeal bill, and the Legislature 
would need 30 votes to override. The governor has questioned the argument that 
death penalty cases cost more than life in prison prosecutions, pointing out 
that a fiscal note attached to the repeal bill includes no savings for the 
state.

"The costs of litigating the appeals that are filed in death penalty cases are 
negligible to the state and in no way offset the death penalty???s usefulness 
in sentencing the worst criminals," Ricketts said in his weekly column.

Another argument against the death penalty mentioned Wednesday was the fact 
that Nebraska has not carried out an execution for 18 years, when the method 
was the electric chair. The state currently has no way to carry out a lethal 
injection because the necessary drugs have expired and obtaining a new supply 
has become difficult.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said this week that his staff is 
working to restore the viability of a lethal injection protocol. He did not, 
however, predict when executions could resume.

Currently, 11 men live on Nebraska's death row, including one who has been 
there for 35 years.

Chambers lost 1 conservative co-sponsor after he made comments comparing police 
to Islamic terrorists. That prompted questions about whether the comments might 
spark a backlash against the repeal bill.

Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, who removed his name from the bill, said 
Wednesday he still intends to vote for repeal. Before he began studying the 
issue as a newly elected state senator, he supported the death penalty. But 
he's now convinced executing inmates costs more than keeping them in prison for 
life.

That's not to say he is any less disturbed by Chambers' anti-police statements.

"You have to do what you think is right," Lindstrom said. "You have to look at 
the bill itself, not who brought the bill."

(source: omaha.com)






USA:

Gary Lee Sampson's lawyers appear in court ahead of resentencing trial


Lawyers for convicted killer Gary Lee Sampson, the other Massachusetts man 
facing the federal death penalty, appeared in court on Wednesday related to his 
re-sentencing trial.

His lawyers were arguing motions to spare his life.

In 2003, Sampson was convicted and condemned to death for the carjacking 
murders of three people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Sampson's death penalty sentence was vacated when it was determined 1 juror 
lied during jury selection. The government, however, is going forward with 
plans for a new penalty phase trial with a new jury.

During Wednesday's hearings, Sampson's lawyers revealed that they may point to 
a brain injury when Sampson was a child as part of his defense.

The lawyers referred to Sampson falling on his head at Brockton Hospital when 
he was 4 years old. He is 55 now.

The penalty phase of Gary Sampson's trial is set to begin in September. A new 
jury will decide if Sampson lives or dies.

(source: myfoxboston.com)