[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----CONN., FLA., KAN.

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 22




CONNECTICUT:

Capital punishment a waste of energy and money


As the 20th anniversary of the murder of my mom, Joyce Masury, approaches, I am 
amazed that we are still going back and forth about the death penalty. When the 
state Supreme Court declared the punishment unconstitutional this summer, I 
rejoiced that we could finally be done once and for all with this devastating 
system. It's disappointing to see that the court is re-visiting this decision, 
but I hope they will affirm the original decision and leave the death penalty 
behind us.

I was a part of the legislative effort to repeal the death penalty. I did this 
in honor of my mom. I was fortunate to have had a discussion with my mom about 
the death penalty just months before her own death. We were as riveted by the 
events of the OJ Simpson trial, as was the rest of the country, and would often 
watch it together and deliberate our theories and predicted outcome. During 
that time my mom shared with me that she was opposed to the death penalty - a 
decision I had independently reached - and I have carried her strong conviction 
with me all of these years. It is a reminder of her integrity and empathy and 
the main reason for my participation in the repeal campaign.

But as I delved deeper into the judicial system and explored the programs 
available for victim family members, I discovered there are varied and unique 
reasons why murder victims' families are often opposed to the death penalty.

There are myriad ways the death penalty system is broken. We have wrongfully 
convicted and ultimately put to death innocent people. We spend millions of 
dollars every year on continual appeals and wasted breath that results in 
nothing and goes nowhere. It is harmful for victims' family members to see 
another's murder deemed more important than that of your loved one's and thus 
worthy of the ultimate punishment. And it is beyond frustrating to see millions 
of dollars invested into a single capital case while victims' services are 
perpetually underfunded. But all of these reasons, valid as they may be, can't 
compete with the grief and anguish of the uncertainty that comes with the death 
penalty - the distressing uncertainty of whether the person who killed your 
mom, son, sister, daughter, friend will ever be put to death.

Victims' family members go through the pain of reliving their loved one's 
murder over and over again, year after year with endless appeals and no 
guarantee that capital punishment will ever happen. This is a waste of energy 
and money and it doesn't bring justice or closure. In fact, it is the opposite 
of justice and closure - even if the convicted offender is put to death in 1, 
10 or 20 years, the anguish of losing your loved one never goes away and a 
state appointed execution doesn't make you feel any better.

With the death penalty behind us we could instead be redirecting that energy 
and money toward increased resources and services for victim family members, 
and programs aimed at prevention and reformation.

I hope the state Supreme Court will re-affirm its decision that our death 
penalty is no longer constitutional and will finally relieve us of the inherent 
uncertainty that comes with having this broken punishment on the books.

It is time to give back our misplaced time and energy to the survivors of 
homicide for their healing and truly honoring their loved one.

(source: Dawn Mancarella is a West Haven resident----The Register Citizen)






FLORIDA:

Mother of slain boy indicted for murder, faces death penalty----The execution 
prosecutors now intend to pursue for a woman accused of killing her 3-year-old 
son still would not match the death the child suffered at his mother's hands, 
according to the boy's caregiver.


The execution prosecutors now intend to pursue for a woman accused of killing 
her 3-year-old son still would not match the death the child suffered at his 
mother's hands, according to the boy's caregiver.

Egypt Moneeck Robinson, 27, was indicted Thursday on charges of 1st-degree 
murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of 3-year-old 
Aries Juan "A.J." Acevedo. He had been stabbed in the chest days before 
officers found his body stuffed inside a suitcase in the swamp behind a 
Callaway home. Robinson allegedly admitted to killing the child to save him 
from a biblical "Noah's Ark"-type flood, and prosecutors are now seeking the 
death penalty in the case.

However, Artavia Rodriguez, caregiver to Acevedo for years leading up to his 
death, said no punishment would match that of which A.J. suffered.

"He died slowly, looking up at the one person he loved most; and he didn't know 
why," Rodriguez said. "For her to lay down and die in such a peaceful way, it 
doesn???t seem just. If it???s not cruel and unusual, she doesn't deserve it."

Investigators have yet to rule out "ritual sacrifice" as a motive in the 
killing. Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen and prosecutor Bob Sombathy 
declined to comment on the evidence that has led to that conclusion in the 
pending investigation.

The boy's body was discovered Dec. 29 after he was stabbed in the chest, 
stuffed into a suitcase and thrown in a swamp behind a home at 7023 Benton 
Drive in Callaway, where Robinson was living. Authorities also found "a 3-4 
inch piece of concrete in the throat of the child" allegedly placed there by 
Robinson, according to BCSO reports.

Officers reported the child had been dead since Dec. 26 and in the interim 
Robinson had been arranging to get a bus ticket out of town. As a deputy 
approached Robinson to arrest her, she allegedly told him she had killed her 
son to save him from a biblical flood and asked to be taken to jail, BCSO 
reported.

"Just put me in handcuffs," officers quoted Robinson as saying. "I did it. ... 
I killed my baby and put him inside the suitcase ... He is floating on top of 
the water."

In court documents announcing their intent to pursue the death penalty, 
prosecutors identified four aggravating factors in the case, including that the 
killing "was committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner without 
any pretense of moral or legal justification," the documents state.

Robinson is scheduled to be arraigned Feb 2.

The indictment comes days before a memorial service that???s scheduled to be 
held on Saturday for the victim, Aries "A.J." Acevedo. The service will be held 
at 4:30 p.m. at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 715 MLK Jr. Blvd.

Rodriguez said the ceremony will be an informal celebration of A.J.'s life and 
will be held on the green outside. The ceremony is partly to honor the child's 
compassion and partly to raise awareness in the community, she said.

"We don't need to give these people these chances," Rodriguez said, adding that 
she still can hear A.J. calling out for her help. "Not only have I lost a 
beautiful, loving child, I will carry that guilt with me forever. People need 
to be more vigilant to prevent this from happening again."

(source: Panama City News Herald)






KANSAS:

Bill to End Death Penalty Introduced in Kansas


Today, a group of 17 legislators, led by former judge, Representative Steven 
Becker, introduced a bill in the Kansas House of Representatives that would end 
the death penalty in Kansas. This group of 11 Republicans and 6 Democrats 
cosponsored Bill 2515, which would repeal the death penalty and replace it with 
a maximum punishment of Life Without Parole.

This group of legislators plans to speak on the matter and address the media at 
11:45 a.m. on Thursday, January 28th in the 2nd Floor Capitol Rotunda. They 
will be joined by recent exoneree, Floyd Bledsoe, who will also speak about his 
story and what happens when the justice system does not work as it should. Come 
join us all as we listen to these leaders speak about the practical and moral 
reasons to end the death penalty.

Bill 2515

- This bill would save Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars over the next 10 
years and would continue saving money into the future. The bill designates 
these savings to be captured and allocated to the budget-starved Department of 
Corrections.

- This bill would also prevent Kansas from committing the gravest injustice 
thinkable -- sentencing an innocent person to death.

- Finally, this bill would put Kansas on the right side of history, joining 18 
other states, and the VAST majority of developed nations, by ending the morally 
bankrupt practice of executing its own citizens.

(source: KCADP)