[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----OKLA., KAN., NEB., COLO.

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 6



OKLAHOMA----impending execution

Sarandon In Plea For Death Row Inmate's Life ---- The actress builds on her 
Oscar-winning role in Dead Man Walking - calling for the halt to a convicted 
killer's execution.


One of Hollywood's best known actresses has appealed for public help in 
stopping the execution of a man she says is "clearly innocent".

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Susan Sarandon said next month's 
scheduled execution in Oklahoma shows everything that is wrong with the death 
penalty in America.

She also described the governor of Oklahoma as a "horrible person" for refusing 
to intervene.

Sarandon won an Oscar for her portrayal of anti-capital punishment campaigner 
Sister Helen Prejean in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking.

Richard Glossip, 52, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on 16 September, 
but has always maintained he is innocent.

He was convicted of murder after the man who confessed to the killing claimed 
that Glossip had hired him to do it. In return for his testimony, Justin Sneed 
was given a prison sentence, whereas Glossip was sentenced to death.

He has been on death row for 17 years but has exhausted all appeals, including 
to the US Supreme Court.

Sarandon told Sky News: "Richard's case is so typical. Bad representation; 2 
trials that were ridiculous, no physical evidence. He's put there by a snitch 
who actually did kill the person, and then the snitch has life and this guy is 
being put to death on the 16th.

"Once a mistake has been made within a judicial system, people just do not want 
to admit that mistake has been made and it becomes impossible to readdress 
them. And the only thing now that is going to give him a chance to survive is 
public opinion - is public embarrassment."

The actress is urging people to write to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin - asking 
her to intervene and grant a stay of execution. So far she has refused to do so 
and rejected Sky News' requests for an interview about the case.

"The governor of Oklahoma is just a horrible person, and a woman, so it's even 
more discouraging," Sarandon said.

"Being tough on crime means being for the death penalty, somehow that got 
established, so when you're attempting to protect your political career, you 
can't ever look at the complexities if you want to keep your mantra going.

"It's never because of some consciousness-raising that these things change, 
it's because of some kind of embarrassment. And so this is where public opinion 
can make a difference.

"This is where having letters sent to the governor can make a difference, 
because then they understand. He's (Glossip) a perfect example of what's wrong 
with the death penalty, and so of course, I'm hoping that some kind of exposure 
will give him the opportunity to maybe get his sentence at least commuted, 
because he's clearly innocent, and on top of that the guy who actually killed 
the person is in a minimum security prison for the rest of his life."

The movie Dead Man Walking was based on a book by Sister Helen Prejean who 
works with death row prisoners. She has visited Glossip in prison and has 
agreed to be his spiritual advisor in the hours before his execution.

The Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has also declined to be interviewed, 
but his office issued a statement.

"A jury has twice convicted and sentenced Richard Glossip in the murder of 
Barry Van Treese. Glossip has challenged his conviction all the way to the US 
Supreme Court, exhausting all appeals, and has been unsuccessful at each 
challenge.

"The attorney general's office will continue its work to protect the state's 
ability to ensure the sentence handed down by a jury can be carried out so that 
after nearly 20 years, justice can be served for the family of Barry Van 
Treese."

(source: Sky News)






NEBRASKA:

Death penalty repeal cited by national progressives


The Nebraska Legislature's repeal of the death penalty was hailed Wednesday in 
a Top 10 list of progressive achievements in state legislatures across the 
nation this year.

The ranking by the State Innovation Exchange, a resource and strategy center 
that supports progressive policies, was released during the annual legislative 
summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln participated in a telephone conference call from 
Seattle along with legislators from Oregon, Nevada and Connecticut as the 
rankings were released.

The death penalty repeal, enacted over the veto of Gov. Pete Ricketts, occurred 
in "a state that most folks think of as quite conservative," State Innovation 
Exchange communications director Patty Kupfer said.

"It was an historic session," Morfeld said, but also in a number of ways in 
addition to the death penalty.

Morfeld cited bipartisan criminal justice reform, additional protections for 
working mothers, opportunities for young undocumented immigrants to acquire 
drivers licenses and defeat of a proposed voter photo ID bill.

"With congressional action in Washington at a standstill, policy-making at the 
state level will have a growing impact on the lives of most Americans," the 
progressive resource center stated.

The center is focused on policies that support working families, protect the 
environment, promote civil rights and strengthen democracy.

(source: Journal Star)






COLORADO:

Denver's 1st Death Penalty Case More Than A Decade Heads To The Jury


The jury now has the case against a man accused of killing 5 people inside a 
Denver bar during a botched robbery. The crime was covered up when the place 
was set on fire with the victims still inside.

Dexter Lewis, 25, remained without expression throughout his capital murder 
trial. The jury got the case late Wednesday afternoon. It's a complicated case 
with the defense and prosecution painting the defendant in 2 very different 
lights.

Lewis is accused of killing 5 people inside Fero's Bar & Grill and then setting 
the building on fire. Prosecutors say Lewis and the other codefendants went to 
the bar to rob it but it turned into a brutal murder scene.

"This is about viciously killing 5 innocent victims ... stabbing them over and 
over and over because they got a look at your face, because you had to do it 
after you did the first," prosecutor Joseph Morales said.

The 2 other codefendants, brothers Lynell and Joseph Hill, pleaded guilty to 
the killings 2 years ago after agreeing to testify against Lewis.

"This blame shifting codefendant was testifying for his life. He was here to 
fulfill his plea bargain. His plea bargain required him to, in his words, 
'cooperate.'" Lewis' attorney Chris Baumann said.

The defense says Denver police initially had no witnesses and suspects in the 
murders. Then walked in an confidential information from the Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Demarea Harris, who was at the crime scene 
with the 3 defendants.

"(Harris) knew that it was only a matter of time before the police came looking 
at the Hill brothers. He needed to beat them to the punch, and he knew that the 
first to talk is the first to walk." Baumann said.

The prosecution defended their star witness saying he had no motive to come 
forward to police other than his conscience.

The case is the 1st capital punishment case in Denver in more than a decade.

(source: CBS news)