Tell Alberto Gonzales to Slow Down the Death Penalty Fast Track!

When Congress re-authorized the Patriot Act in 2005, it adopted a new procedure intended to speed up death penalty appeals in federal court. Under the new system, individual states may apply to the U.S. Attorney General for “fast-track procedures.” These procedures limit review of death penalty cases in federal court. Before, the courts decided if states qualified for this short-cut review; now, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales makes the decision.

The Attorney General has released proposed regulations that, if adopted, will govern his review of state applications. But he has permitted only a short time for public comment on these regulations. Comments must be received by August 6, 2007.

Given the critical nature of the Attorney General’s decision, it is vital that the public submit comments to insist that the Attorney General ensure that states provide indigent people on death row with minimally competent attorneys and adequate resources to raise claims of innocence and constitutional challenges to death sentences.

Take Action Now! Tell Alberto Gonzales to Slow Down the Death Penalty Fast Track!