International Human Rights Day

Today is International Human Rights Day, the 62nd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 6th nniversary of the founding of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights. I pass along a posting by my Susannah Sheffer that appears in today's For Victims, Against the Death Penalty, the blog of MVFHR.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010
Human Rights Day

Today is International Human Rights Day, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDR) in 1948.

I always like to quote Sister Helen Prejean's observation, in her book Death of Innocents, that initially there was some debate about whether abolition of the death penalty fell within the scope of the ideal that the Universal Declaration represented. Helen writes:

It was to be expected when Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was debated back in the 1940s that such a declaration, which granted everyone the right to life without qualification, would provoke debate, and one of the first proposed amendments was that an exception ought to be made in the case of criminals lawfully sentenced to death. Eleanor Roosevelt urged the committee to resist this amendment, arguing that their task was to draw up a truly universal charter of human rights toward which societies could strive. She foresaw a day when no government could kill its citizens for any reason.

We are, of course, still working toward that day, and although there is a great deal left to do, we can also appreciate that 62 years after Eleanor Roosevelt made her argument, the majority of the world's countries have abolished the death penalty.

Today is also the 6th anniversary of the founding of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights. Six years ago, the founding group gathered at the UN Church Plaza in New York City, offered public testimony, and signed a document stating, "In the name of victims, we pledge to end the death penalty around the world."

In MVFHR's first public statement shortly thereafter, we said:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that sets forth the most basic principles regarding the value of human life and the way human beings ought to treat one another, was inspired by victims, demanded by victims. It grew out of the suffering of millions of civilians murdered under the brutal regimes of the Second World War, and its adoption on December 10, 1948 was a way to honor the loss of these lives, and an attempt to give meaning to the loss, by asserting that such violations are neither moral nor permissible under any nation or regime.

Now is the time to raise our voices again and insist that violations of human life in the form of the death penalty or other state killings are not permissible under any nation or regime. It is time to call for the abolition of the death penalty because the only way to uphold human rights is to uphold them in all cases, universally.

We believe that survivors of homicide victims have a recognized stake in the debate over how societies respond to murder and have the moral authority to call for a consistent human rights ethic as part of that response. Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights is the answer to that call.

Our deepest thanks today to all MVFHR's members and supporters who have helped answer that call and who have accomplished so much in these six years.
at 8:41 AM

Tuesday's Schedule at Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break

Below is the schedule of events for the second day of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, Tuesday, March 16. You may come to all the events or just individual sessions. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to register, just show up for the events. It is all free.

It starts at noon on Tuesday. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.

Noon to 1 PM: "Religious Views of the Death Penalty” presented by Steven Crimaldi, National Director of Dead Man Walking School Theater Project. Steven will also explain how students can get involved by doing a production of the play at their schools or in their communities.

1- 2 PM: “Mental Illness and the Death Penalty”, presented by Susannah Sheffer of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights. “Prevention, Not Execution”. Read background report: "DOUBLE TRAGEDIES: Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty for People with Severe Mental Illness".

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:30 Mary K. Poirier, mitigation specialist from The McCallister Law Firm. Mary will discuss her work on capital trials in Texas and elsewhere and how activists can work with legal teams. A good mitigation specialist can save someone from being sentenced to death.

3:30-3:45 Break

3:45- 5:00 PM Bill Pelke, president of Journeyof Hope … From Violence to Healing will speak and present a film of the work of Journey of Hope ... From Violence to Healing. The film documents family members of murder victims speaking out against the death penalty. Also, we will introduce and hear comments from another special guest arriving Tuesday, death row exoneree Curtis McCarty who spent 19 years on death row in Oklahoma.

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Petition Signature Gathering Competition: We will divide into teams and fan out throughout Austin to collect signatures on a petition against the death penalty. People can collect signatures at places such as where SXSW events are taking place such as the convention center, outside certain bookstores or other stores if they allow it, on the streets in downtown Austin and wherever else the teams want to try. The team that collects the most petition signatures (with names, addresses, email addresses and possibly phone numbers) will win a prize of $100.

Evening Free time on your own for enjoying Austin

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Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break.

Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.

Terri Been's Phone Call with Sister Helen Prejean

Today, I received the phone call from Sister Helen Prejean that I won from the Texas Moratorium Network raffle. This really was an honor for me, and Sister Helen was as thoughtful and generous as I have heard.

When she called, she was actually on her way home from a death row visit in Louisiana. We spoke of several topics with regard to the abolition movement, and then she asked me about my brother’s case. (Jeff Wood) We also talked briefly about the efforts of the Kids Against the Death Penalty and their being asked to speak in Geneva; she then mentioned that she would also be at the 4^th World Congress next month in Geneva, and looked forward to meeting us if we were able to raise the money.

Our phone conversation lasted about half an hour, but she called back a second time (while I was in class) and spoke with 7 of the KADP members separately, (who were together to protest tonight’s execution of Gary Johnson) as well as to my husband, Steven. They were all very excited to speak with her, and were thankful for the additional call, which was a surprise to us all!

She assured me that there was a reason she and I were able to connect; and I am looking forward to working/collaborating with her in the future; not only for the sake of my brother, but for all who are affected by this barbaric form of “punishment”. She is truly an inspiration, and I cannot thank her enough for her time. Further, I would like to thank Scott Cobb from the Texas Moratorium Network not only for this amazing opportunity but also for being an instrumental part in the effort to save my brother’s life.

I know that together, we can, and will win the fight for abolition!

Terri Been

Book: Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer (Hardcover)

Angel of Death Row by Andrea Lyon is going to become available in January of 2010. It is a collection of stories that complete her memoirs on a life of service as a death penalty trial attorney. While her book is not meant to be an argumentative piece for or against the death penalty, it is clear that Ms. Lyon, through her commitment to her clients and in creating The Center for Justice in Capital Cases (at DePaul University in Chicago), is an agent of change in this country for death penalty reform. There is a video interview with Andrea Lyon on Youtube.

Book Description

Nineteen times, death penalty defense lawyer Andrea D. Lyon has represented a client found guilty of capital murder. Nineteen times, she has argued for that individual’s life to be spared. Nineteen times, she has succeeded.

Dubbed the “Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, Lyon was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case. Throughout her career, she has defended those accused of heinous acts and argued that, no matter their guilt or innocence, they deserved a change at redemption.

Now, for the first time, Lyon shares her story, from her early work as a Legal Aid attorney to her founding of the Center for Justice in Capital Cases. Full of courtroom drama, tragedy, and redemption, Angel of Death Row is a remarkable inside look at what drives Lyon to defend those who seem indefensible—and to win.

There was Annette who was suspected of murdering her own daughter. There was Patrick, the convicted murderer who thirsted for knowledge and shared his love of books with Lyon when she visited him in jail. There was Lonnie, whose mental illness made him nearly impossible to save until the daughter who remembered his better self spoke on his behalf. There was Deirdre, who shared Lyon’s cautious optimism that her wrongful conviction would finally be overturned, allowing her to see her grandchildren born while she was in prison. And there was Madison Hobley, the man whose name made international headlines when he was wrongfully charged with the murder of his family and sentenced to death.

These clients trusted Lyon with their stories—and their lives. Driven by an overwhelming sense of justice, fairness, and morality, she fought for them in the courtroom and in the raucous streets, staying by their sides as they struggled through real tragedy and triumphed in startling ways. Angel of Death Row is the compelling memoir of Lyon’s unusual journey and groundbreaking career.

Andrea Lyon's account of her groundbreaking career amounts to a primer on the criminal justice system and the death penalty in particular. What it reveals is often horrifying, but Andrea's writing is so infused with empathy and humor that the reader comes away both wiser to the ways of injustice and inspired by the difference one person can make. The stories of her life and her cases expose flawed humanity on all sides, as well as breathtaking largeness of heart. And make no mistake, Andrea's compassion for the victims of crime is no less than her compassion for the defendants. Angel of Death Row is timely, important, and a page-turner to the end. —Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

‘Dead Man Walking’ Nun and Author Sr. Helen Prejean will Appear on Talk Show To Fight For Life

On Friday, June 12^th, Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ will appear on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day” as an in-studio guest. Sr. Helen is the author of the book “Dead Man Walking”, which inspired the film of the same name starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. This film depicts Sr. Helen’s interactions with a death row inmate.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television station headquartered near Boston. The broadcast streams live 24 hours a day at CatholicTV.com.

On “This is the Day”, Sr. Helen will discuss the movie and the book “Dead Man Walking”. Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for Best Actress in this film. Sr. Helen will also discuss her new book “The Death of the Innocents”. This new book walks readers through the cases of 2 death row inmates who were “convicted of murder on flimsy evidence”. Sr. Helen describes in detail the moments before their deaths and how she witnessed their executions.

During her television interview, Sr. Helen will also discuss the Death Penalty Discourse Network which aims to “deepen and broaden the discourse about the death penalty.”

She will also discuss the “Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project”. This project is a program which offers and promotes the play “Dead Man Walking” (written by Tim Robbins) to schools and universities with the aim of “deepening reflection on one of the key moral issues of our day.”

Sr. Helen also plans to write a book about her spiritual journey against the culture of death.

Also featured on “This is the Day” will be sisters Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP, and Sister Lovina Francis Pammit, OSF, vocations directors in Illinois and coordinators of “the Nun Run” in Chicago. “The Nun Run” is a 24-hour visit of various religious orders in which women are allowed to explore a potential vocation to religious life.

These guests can be seen on Friday, June 12th live at 10:30AM (EST) on CatholicTV where available (rebroadcast at 8PM). The show will also be streamed live at www.CatholicTV.com and will be available on the site’s archives starting Friday night. All videos at the website are viewable in full-screen. Paste this URL into your browser in order to access the “This is the Day” video archives. http://www.catholictv.org/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=72

About CatholicTV:
CatholicTV provides family-friendly, religious, news, and educational programming 24 hours daily. Founded over 50 years ago, CatholicTV is available in selected areas on cable in the United States and Canada, via Sky Angel and online via a live stream anytime, everywhere at the station's web site www.CatholicTV.com. Father Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, is the Director of CatholicTV. Click here to paste this into your browser to find out how to watch CatholicTV where you live: http://www.catholictv.org/schedule/where-to-watch.aspx

“This is the Day” can also be seen on demand at www.CatholicTV.com or downloaded via iTunes.com.and SQPN.com The hosts, Father Robert Reed, and Jay Fadden discuss various topics of the week and respond to viewer mail (you may email the show at thisistheday@catholictv.org.)

Weekly roundup

PIcture: Matt Rainey/The Star Ledger

The state of New Jersey will be voting in the coming weeks to abolish the death penalty and we are expecting it to pass. I know this because last Friday the New Jersey Assembly speaker, Joe Roberts held a press conference with Sister Helen Prejean announcing his support of the bill. If you happen to watch too much C-Span and news as I do, you'll know that the Speaker never holds a press conference on an issue unless he is sure that he has enough votes to get the bill passed (video here).

Karl Keys of Capital Defense Weekly has more details about the situation in New Jersey.

Austin American-Statesman has a story about changes to the Sharon Keller lawsuit by wife of Michael Richard.

"I also want the jury to be able to walk into the Court of Criminal Appeals and see where that phone call came in," Kallinen said. He said the change also allowed him to beef up portions of the suit dealing with judicial immunity, the lawsuit's highest hurdle. Judges are immune from lawsuits dealing with their judicial actions, but can under limited conditions be sued over administrative decisions.

Kallinen said he withdrew the lawsuit Thursday and mailed the new version to the Austin federal court, where he anticipates it will be filed Tuesday.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a front page article in their Sunday's paper regarding the case of Troy David. News Week has an article titled, "Injection of Reflection" that discusses the lethal injection debate and the diminishing support for the Death Penalty among those who are involved in the process, such as juries, Judges, wardens, and state governors.

The new reluctance to punish by killing is part of a historical trend. There was a time when death and torture were spectator sports, when crowds flocked to see prisoners drawn and quartered or beheaded. In some parts of the world, flogging and stoning are still public spectacles. But in the 19th century, supposedly "enlightened" states began looking for more-humane ways to serve final justice—to kill people without causing too much suffering to either the victims or their executioners. The authorities tried hanging, firing squads, electrocutions, gas chambers and, more recently, lethal injection. Each method was supposed to be an improvement over the last...

Jurors and prosecutors are steering away from the death penalty because they are both more and less afraid: more apprehensive about killing the innocent and less fearful of crime. Over the past decade, the use of DNA testing on wrongly convicted criminals has overturned prison sentences for at least 200 inmates nationwide (about 15 of them sentenced to death). In 2000, Illinois declared a moratorium on executions after 13 death-row inmates were exonerated. Back in the '80s, when violent crime was surging along with crack-cocaine addiction in cities, Americans demanded retributive justice. But as crime rates fell in the '90s and the first few years of the new century, jurors became more lenient in capital cases.

At the same time, prosecutors began to be wary of seeking the death penalty. A series of court decisions required that more states provide competent lawyers for the criminally accused in death-penalty cases. Better defense lawyers could stall and maneuver, running up the cost to the state of bringing a capital case. The more-clever lawyers have been especially good at introducing "mitigating circumstances" into these cases, arguing that the abuse suffered by the killer as a child helps to explain the horrible crime he or she committed. Since 1982, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective, a think tank, the state has spent more than $250 million on the death penalty, or about $11 million a year—without executing a single prisoner. With legal costs soaring in death cases, states are finding it cheaper to pay for lifetime prison sentences.

Tyler Morning Telegraph has a story about a presentation by Dr. William Girard of University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston about lethal injections.

“There are many instances … difficulty finding a vein, equipment failing, choking and heaving, the needle becoming lodged, or is pointed in the wrong direction,” Girard said, “definitely (allowing for) the possibility of agony or suffocation during a period of time before death.”

In May, prison officials in Ohio stuck Christopher Newton at least 10 times with needles, delaying his execution more than an hour, as they struggled to place shunts in his arms to administer the fatal doses.

While lethal injection protocol varies by state, the American Veterinary Medicine Association issues and frequently updates a 39-page guideline for euthanasia.

The most encouraged form of euthanasia involves one ingredient: a long-acting anesthetic called sodium pentobarbital.

The animal is given a high dose which pushes them past loss of consciousness into apnea and then into cardiac arrest.

Using an anesthetic assures vets that the animal is completely asleep when its heart stops.

But, lethal injections used on inmates contain a short-acting anesthetic called thiopental, Girard said.

And unlike lethal injections, vet guidelines discourage the use of a paralyzing agent, saying it could lead to death by asphyxiation which isn’t even appropriate once an animal is unconscious.

“I concluded that the paralyzing agent is used in lethal injection for the benefit of the viewers, to keep the inmate from squirming if the anesthesia isn’t adequate,” Girard said.

Live blogging from CEDP Convention in Chicago

I'm live blogging from the Campaign to End the Death Penalty's annual convention at the University of Chicago. Currently about 100 people are listening to Barbara Becnel, Stan Tookie William's advocate/editor talking about her struggle to save life of Tookie Williams. Before her Kenneth Foster jr, read an inspirational letter from his son Kenneth Foster. CEDP played a major role in Gov. Rick Perry's commutation of Kenneth Foster's death sentence. Other speakers include Shujaa Graham, Harold C Wilson and several other exonerated death-row inmates from Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Sister Helen Prejean is going to be the Keynote Speaker of the convention tonight. About 500 people are expected to attend it. For more information, registration and directions go to CEDP's website.

If I get some time later today, I will post another update.

Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ speaks at the UCC

Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents, an internationally known opponent of the death penalty has accepted Bishop Aymond’s invitation to speak in Austin on Wednesday, February 14, 2007. Sr. Helen will be at the University Catholic Center, at 2010 University Ave. (corner of University and 21st adjacent to the U.T. Campus) at 3:30 p.m. Sr. Helen will be joined by Linda White, a member of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation. Linda’s daughter was murdered. Come hear why the Catholic Church and murder victim’s family members stand in opposition to the death penalty. For more information contact Michelle Goodwin at