[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----VA., GA., KAN., NEB., WASH.

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 22



VIRGINIA:

Virginia bishops: Death penalty won't heal a broken world


For 2 Catholic bishops in Virginia, the execution of a man convicted of 
brutally killing a family of 4 was a time to reflect on God's mercy.

"Our Creator, who made us out of love for love, has dominion over all life," 
Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of Richmond and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of 
Arlington said in a joint statement Jan. 18.

"As children of this loving, merciful God we are led to a profound respect for 
every human life, from its very beginning until its natural end."

They said that the death penalty should be abandoned because the state can 
protect itself in other ways.

"Our broken world cries out for justice, not the additional violence or 
vengeance the death penalty will exact," Bishop DiLorenzo and Bishop Burbidge 
said.

The state of Virginia on Wednesday executed by lethal injection Ricky Gray, age 
39.

He and his nephew went on a killing spree in January 2006, murdering 7 people 
in a 6 day period, CNN reports.

He was convicted of killing a family of 4 who left their front door open on New 
Year's Day 2006. The family had been beaten, bound, and repeatedly stabbed. 
Their house was then set on fire.

The death sentence concerned the murders of 9-year-old Stella Harvey and her 
4-year-old sister Ruby. He was also sentenced to life in prison for killing 
their parents.

Gray had issued a public apology in the days before his execution, saying, "I'm 
sorry they had to be a victim of my despair."

"Remorse is not a deep enough word for how I feel. I know my words can't bring 
anything back, but I continuously feel horrible for the circumstances that I 
put them through. I robbed them from a lifelong supply of joy," he said in an 
audio message posted on a website advocating his clemency.

Bishop DiLorenzo and Bishop Burbidge also reflected on the victims.

"We again express profound sorrow and offer our continued prayers for all 
victims of violence, whose lives have been brutally cut short, and their loved 
ones, whose grief continues," the bishops said.

"We pray for a change of heart and a spirt of remorse and conversion on the 
part of the perpetrators of this violence and ask God to give all of us the 
grace to work for peace and respect for all life in our communities and our 
Commonwealth."

Gray also confessed to the November 2005 killing of his own wife.

His attorneys had filed constitutional challenges with the U.S. Supreme Court 
against the execution, citing the failure of the lethal drug cocktail to make 
prisoners unconscious during executions in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Ohio 
and Oklahoma. The Supreme Court denied a stay of execution.

Lawyers had also appealed his sentence on the grounds that jurors did not 
receive a clear explanation of the severe abuse that shaped his life and his 
use of PCP and the drug???s potential to cause psychosis.

Gray's nephew, Ray Dandridge, is serving a life sentence due to other killings.

(source: catholicnewsagency.com)






GEORGIA:

Harrell helps launch conservative anti-death penalty group


State Rep. Brett Harrell, R-Snellville, joined other conservatives on Thursday 
to launch a new statewide group aimed at ending the use of the death penalty in 
Georgia.

Video from the Georgia Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty's launch 
shows Harrell advocating for the use of life without parole over the death 
penalty. While some other speakers called for abolishing the death penalty, 
Harrell himself did not specifically call for that.

"The death penalty, I believe, is both constitutional and may be morally 
applied," Harrell said during the press conference. "That said, as a person of 
faith, I view the death penalty first from a standpoint of protecting the 
innocent rather than having a primary purpose of punishing the guilty.

"And with that in mind, we've evolved as a society in this nation, and in this 
state, to be able to protect the innocent through life without the ability of 
parole."

The legislator was joined by other Republicans and Libertarians, including 
former Fifth Congressional District GOP Chairman David Burge, former 
Athens-area Right to Life President Charles Jones, Foundation for Economic 
Education Chief Operating Officer Richard Lorenc, America???s Future Foundation 
Atlanta Chapter chairwoman Jennifer Maffessanti and Mercer University College 
Republicans immediate past chairman Austin Paul.

Another Gwinnett native, Marc Hyden, also spoke a the group's launch. Hyden, a 
Collins Hill graduate, is Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty's 
national advocacy coordinator. He explained that the group is made up of 
conservatives who "feel the death penalty is inconsistent with our core 
values."

"The death penalty in its simplest form inherently and repeatedly risks 
innocent lives," Hyden said.

Harrell cited studies about the cost of keeping someone on death row, sometimes 
for decades, versus the cost of keeping someone in jail for life without the 
possibility of parole, saying the latter option was the more affordable one.

"As someone who is skeptical of large government, I like to make sure that the 
government is as efficient and as small as possible," he said. "And we've seen 
repeatedly since the re-institution of the death penalty in the '70s that 
people have been tried, convicted and sentenced to death row, and I believe 156 
now have been exonerated, including 6 from Georgia.

"So the government has failed to provide an efficient, effective and accurate 
system in that regard."

Harrell also pointed to his position as a person of faith as a reason why he 
was concerned about the death penalty. He pointed to the Latin phrase "Imago 
Dei," a term often used in the pro-life movement that means "Image of God," as 
one basis for his belief that life without parole is a better alternative to 
the death penalty.

Pro-lifers take the stance that a person become the image of God when they are 
conceived and that a person's life should be preserved whenever possible, 
Harrell explained.

"As I pondered that, and you think throughout the life, even with someone who 
is the most heinous criminal and done the most repulsive and despicable thing 
you can imagine, as you ponder that, at what point is the Imago Dei, is the 
image of God, removed from that terrible person's soul," he said. "And the 
answer is clear: It is not."

(source: Gwinnett Daily Post)






KANSAS:

Prosecutor: Death penalty possible for slayings' suspects


A Kansas prosecutor says the death penalty "is on the table" in the case of 2 
people who investigators say fled to Mexico as suspects in a triple homicide 
last October.

Harvey County prosecutors have charged 35-year-old Jereme Nelson and 
31-year-old Myrta Rangel each with 1 count of capital murder and 3 counts of 
1st-degree murder.

Nelson and Rangel were arrested earlier this month in Mexico and were returned 
to the U.S., where they remain jailed in California and await extradition to 
Kansas.

Authorities have said the bodies of 33-year-old Travis Street and 37-year-old 
Angela May Graevs, both of Moundridge, and 52-year-old Richard Prouty of 
Newton, were found Oct. 30 outside a rural home near Moundridge. An 
18-month-old child was found unharmed.

It's unclear if Nelson and Rangel have attorneys.

(source: Associated Press)






NEW MEXICO:

Despite fiscal crisis, several crime bills raised anew in NM legislature

Despite a Democratic-controlled Legislature, which historically in New Mexico 
hasn't taken up a tough-on-crime mantle, a handful of bills have been 
introduced to toughen punishments - including a reintroduction of the death 
penalty in certain cases.

Many of the bills pre-filed before the start of the session Tuesday are repeats 
from the last 2 years, when Republicans had control of the House and were able 
to give the bills some traction before most died in the Democrat-controlled 
Senate.

Gov. Susana Martinez has expressed support for the death penalty for convicted 
cop and child killers and "3-strikes" laws, but some lawmakers warn the state's 
funding crisis will make it more difficult to pass them.

"Even in affluent years, there is always a discussion about money. Increased 
penalties cost money to house prisoners, but when you go ahead and talk to the 
community, the community does not feel safe," said Rep. Bill Rehm, 
R-Albuquerque.

There were numerous high-profile crimes in the last 2 years, including the 
killing of 4 New Mexico law enforcement officers, the shooting death of a young 
Albuquerque girl caught in a road rage incident, and the shooting death of an 
innocent bystander, a popular Albuquerque teen, at a party.

Critics of increased penalties say financial concerns are valid and point to 
studies that say increased penalties don't show a deterrent effect on crime - 
especially the death penalty.

One of the largest studies of the deterrent effect of tougher penalties shows 
that the strength of the penalty has less effect, if any, than the certainty of 
receiving a punishment, and deterrent effects are greater on minor crimes and 
much less for serious crimes.

"The tendency is to increase penalties as a form of public policy, and it 
simply doesn't deter crime, and it adds stress to an already stressed system," 
said Rep. Antonio "Mo" Maestas, D-Albuquerque. "We need evidence-based policies 
to ultimately lessen the crime."

He is particularly opposed to the death penalty, which is a very expensive 
process, but he said even less expensive policies like the 3-strikes laws are 
also expensive - and outdated.

Governor's agenda.

In a speech earlier this month to Albuquerque business leaders, the governor 
called on lawmakers to pass bills increasing penalties for child abuse and 
driving while intoxicated and reimpose the death penalty - which the state 
abolished in 2009 - for individuals convicted of killing children or law 
enforcement officers.

"We should give prosecutors and juries the option to impose it," she said.

But Martinez did not mention how the stiffer penalties would be funded, as her 
proposed $6.1 billion budget plan for the coming year would extend budget cuts 
for the state's judicial branch and provide only a small funding increase for 
the state's prison system.

Legislators can propose bills until about halfway through the session, Feb. 16 
this year.

So far, Rehm, a former sheriff's deputy, and House Minority Leader Nate Gentry, 
R-Albuquerque, together have filed half of all crime-related bills.

The 2 have doubled up on bills that would expand the state's 3-strikes law, 
adding to the current list of crimes applicable for the enhancement.

The 3-strikes law allows prosecutors to seek a mandatory sentence of life in 
prison, which in New Mexico is 30 years without the chance for parole.

Gentry's bill, House Bill 54, is the version passed by the House last year. It 
would remove the requirement that the convictions be for crimes that caused 
great bodily harm, meaning prosecutors could try to get a habitual offender 
enhancement for some of the defendant's previous felonies even if no one was 
seriously injured.

The bill also would add to the list of qualifying charges, among others, 
involuntary manslaughter, shooting at a building, homicide by vehicle, 
aggravated arson or battery on a police officer, and injury to a pregnant woman 
by vehicle.

Rehm's bill, House Bill 13, retains the requirement that any qualifying crimes 
have resulted in someone's great bodily harm, and it would add some but not as 
many charges as Gentry's for consideration.

"Mine is more restrictive. He's casting a wider net," Rehm said.

(source: Albuquerque Journal)






WASHINGTON:

Legislators from Yakima Valley weigh in on future of death penalty in 
Washington


State lawmakers are again being asked to abolish the death penalty, but whether 
the proposal comes up for a vote this legislative session remains in question.

"I think it's anybody's guess - I'm not yet sure of the momentum," said Rep. 
Norm Johnson, R-Yakima.

The proposal was raised last week by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who 
was backed by fellow Democrats, including Gov. Jay Inslee, but also several 
Republicans, including former Attorney General Rob McKenna and two members of 
the Republican controlled Senate.

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, sees the proposition as having a very definite 
possibility of moving forward, with conversation on the issue increasing.

"It very well could because apparently it does have bipartisan support," 
Warnick said.

Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, echoed Johnson's uncertainty over whether the 
proposal will gain strength.

"I have no idea," Honeyford said, noting the idea has been brought up more than 
once in the past and voters haven't always supported abolishing the death 
penalty.

During the last legislative session, a bill to abolish the death penalty died 
when Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
blocked a hearing on the bill.

Last week, Padden said he would consider holding a hearing on a death penalty 
bill if the House, which is controlled by Democrats, passes a bill first.

If no action is taken in the Legislature, it's possible the proposal could go 
before voters as an initiative. Last year, the Washington Association of 
Prosecuting Attorneys asked for a public vote on capital punishment.

Voters, lawmakers or the courts have eliminated the death penalty in 19 states.

In Washington, Inslee placed a moratorium on executions in 2014 saying the way 
the death penalty is applied is too flawed to allow any more executions to 
proceed. There are now 8 men on Washington's death row. None involve cases from 
Yakima County. Ferguson's proposed bill would not be retroactive for those 8 
men.

Honeyford, Johnson and Warnick all said they supported the concept of a death 
penalty.

Johnson, however, noted the high cost associated with capital punishment.

"I don't oppose the death penalty, but I do think I have concerns over the cost 
of death penalty cases," Johnson said.

A 2015 study by the University of Seattle that reviewed 147 aggravated 
1st-degree murder cases in Washington showed that the average cost of a 
death-penalty case was slighty more than $3 million, while sending a person to 
prison for life costs roughly $2 million.

1 reason for the higher cost is the limited number of attorneys qualified by 
the state to handle death penalty cases.

"You should have no more of an advantage, you shouldn't be able to get a better 
attorney," said Johnson, noting he believes death penalty qualified attorneys 
demand significantly higher fees than those defending suspects not facing 
death.

"I think it's just been blown out of proportion - nobody else gets that kind of 
a break," Johnson said.

Like Johnson, Honeyford does not oppose the death penalty in general. However, 
he said costs associated with capital cases should be expected to be higher 
than others.

"I used to be a police officer and I don't think we plan justice at the lowest 
possible cost - justice has a cost," Honeyford said.

Honeyford said he's not in favor of abolishing the death penalty, given the 
especially heinous nature of some cases.

"I just don't see us giving them life in prison without parole," Honeyford 
said. "I think there should be a price paid for these very serious, serious 
crimes."

Warnick said she also doesn't favor eliminating the death penalty, noting the 
state doesn't carry out executions very often. The previous 2 executions were 
in 2010 and 2001.

Warnick said her ultimate thoughts are with victims and their families, 
especially when the facts in a case are especially horrifying.

"My heart goes out to the victims of these crimes, these horrific crimes," 
Warnick said.

Warnick cited 1 particular case, that of an 80-year-old woman who lives in fear 
of the man who killed her child. Her son's murderer is doing life in prison, 
but the mother worries that one day he could somehow get released.

"Those are the people I think about - people living with this for the rest of 
their lives after the crimes against them or their families," Warnick said.

While supporting the death penalty, Warnick said she is grateful that she's 
never had to be in a position to decide whether to apply it.

"There's some merit to it," Warnick said, "but I wouldn't want to be on the 
jury or a judge in one of those cases."

(source: Yakima Herald)