"It really makes me believe the Great Spirit laid this trip on me so that I could bear witness of this terrible thing we call the deathpenalty in the U.S." - Delbert Tibbs
I Just found out that death-row survivor Delbert Tibbs passed away last night. I first met Delbert at the Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty in front of the SCOTUS about 8 years ago. He was one of the few exonerees that had kept in touch with me after I left Witness to Innocence. Sometimes he would send messages of encouragement and support, and sometimes poetry. He always refereed to me as "hoo" or "cowboy" in private, and never capitalized a single word in his messages. I always assumed that he was taking a poetic license. He was a poet, with several published pieces in magazines and books. Pete Seeger put a few lines of his poems into a song titled "Delbert Tibbs." At that time he was dedicating the song to a young black man serving a death sentence for the 1994 murder of a white woman at the Raiford State Prison in Starke, Florida. After finding out that I speak Persian, he would recite from memory verses of poetry from not just Rumi and Hafiz (whom he always refereed to as "Sheikh Hafiz"), but also from Farid ud-Din Attar's "Conference of the Birds."
In his letter to Gary Graham (executed in 2000 by George Bush), who Delbert believed to be innocent, he wrote: "...those who know not the sacred thing called life may break and destroy the physical body but your warrior spirit Will never die; you are part of the One who made the Sun and the Stars and the laughter of children and love." R.I.P. delbert l. tibbs. Your warrior spirit lives on among those of us fighting the death penalty.
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Saturday, November 30, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Execution Watch: Jamie McCoskey, Nov. 12
Jamie McCoskey
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Texas plans to execute a man Tuesday whose sentencing hearing included a presentation by a prosecution psychologist whose testing methods for developmental disability have since been debunked as unscientific.
Execution Watch will air coverage of the state killing, plus a taped interview with the condemned, Jamie McCoskey.
RADIO SHOW PREVIEW
EXECUTION WATCH
Unless a stay is issued, we'll broadcast live:
Tuesday, 12 November 2013, 6-7 PM Central Time
KPFT FM Houston 90.1 and Online...
Updates and discussion on Facebook: Execution Watch
TEXAS PLANS TO EXECUTE:
JAMIE McCOSKEY,
a Houston bartender convicted in the 1991 kidnapping and stabbing death
of a 20-year-old man. McCoskey was one of 16 defendants sentenced to
death in separate cases after the now-disgraced psychologist George
Denkowski used his own, non-standard methods to conclude that none was
developmentally disabled. His determination sank the defendants' chances
of having their death sentences declared unconstitutional. Denkowski's
punishment included being barred from performing such evaluations in
future.
SHOW LINEUP
Host: RAY HILL, an ex-convict and activist who founded -- and hosted for 30 years -- The Prison Show on KPFT. His internet radio show airs each Wednesday at 2 PM CT.: hmsnetradio.org.
Legal Analyst: JIM SKELTON,
a legal educator, retired attorney and native Texan who has seen
capital trials from both the prosecution and defense tables. Joining him
will be Houston criminal defense attorneys SUSAN ASHLEY, LARRY DOUGLAS, MICHAEL GILLESPIE & JACK LEE.
Featured Interview: JAMIE McCOSKEY, who accepted Execution Watch’s
invitation to tape an interview on death row, with the understanding
that the recording would air unedited, in its entirety, and only in the
event of his execution.
Reporter, Outside the Death House, Huntsville: GLORIA RUBAC, member, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, www.abolitionmovement.org.
Reporter, Vigil, Houston: DAVE ATWOOD, founder and former board member, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, www.tcadp.org.
NEXT SCHEDULED EXECUTION
On Dec. 3, Texas plans to kill JERRY MARTIN. If it does, Execution Watch will air coverage.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Otis Maclay.
THEME: By Victoria Panetti, SheMonster International, myspace.com/shemonster.
Monday, November 04, 2013
WCADP: Iran: The indiscriminate executions continue
World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
4 November 2013
Iran: The indiscriminate executions continue –
The
UN, EU and the International community must put the situation of the
death penalty at the top of the agenda in their dialogue with Iran
While
the political climate between Iran and the international community has
been improving since the election of President Rouhani, and the P5+1
Group is preparing their second round of nuclear negotiations with Iran,
executions continue at a higher rate than before inside the country.
Forty-five
executions in Iran have been confirmed since Saturday, October 26. We
condemn this wave of lawlessness in the strongest possible terms.
Six
executions took place this morning, November 4, according to reports
from Iran: Shirkoo Moarefi, a Kurdish political prisoner, was hanged in
the prison of Saghez (west of Iran), and five prisoners charged with
murder were executed in the prison of Kermanshah.
Following
the execution of 18 prisoners on Saturday, October 26, among them two
Kurdish political prisoners and 16 Baluchi prisoners executed in
retaliation for an armed attack by insurgents the day before, another
Baluchi prisoner was hanged on Monday, October 28, convicted of
membership in a Baluchi militant group, and one prisoner was executed on
Tuesday, October 29, convicted of drug-related charges.
Referring
to the retaliatory execution of the 16 Baluchi prisoners, Florence
Bellivier, President of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, stated, “The
death penalty in Iran is often carried out in violation of
international law; in this case none of the safeguards provided not only
by international law but also by internal regulations were respected”.
Reports
from Iran had indicated that at least 12 Kurdish prisoners might be in
imminent danger of execution. Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned about the
imminent danger of execution for four Sunni Kurd prisoners sentenced to
death, convicted of the assassination of a Sunni Cleric. Those prisoners
were in detention when the assassination took place. Amnesty
International has also warned of the danger of execution for the two
Kurdish political prisoners Zanyar and Loghman Moradi, reportedly
tortured into “confessing” to the 2009 murder of the son of a senior
cleric in Marivan, Kurdistan Province, and participating in armed
activities with a Kurdish opposition group. Additionally, four Ahwazi Arab death row prisoners have been transferred to an unknown location and could be executed at any time.
Since
the election of the new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani in June, at
least 278 prisoners have been executed in Iran. Of those, 166 including
one juvenile offender convicted of a murder committed at 14 years of
age, have been announced by official sources. This is a higher monthly
average number of executions than in recent years. In the same period,
the diplomatic ties between Iran and the international community have
improved and EU and the P5+1 Group have resumed their dialogue with
Iran.
“It
is a paradox that the relations between Iran and the international
community improve at the same time as the number of the executions in
Iran increases. Notably, many of the death row prisoners are subjected
to torture, forced confessions and unfair trials,” said Mahmood
Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights. “Demanding a
halt to the executions and due process of law must be on top of the
agenda in the dialogue between the international community and Iran”.
The
World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, an alliance of more than 150
NGOs, bar associations, local authorities and unions, was created in
Rome on 13 May 2002. The aim of the World Coalition is to strengthen the
international dimension of the fight against the death penalty. Its
ultimate objective is to obtain the universal abolition of the death
penalty.
For further information on the death penalty in Iran, see Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, 2012, http://iranhr.net/IMG/pdf/
Press Contact:
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan
Executive Director ECPM & Vice-President WCADP
Tel: +33 1 80 87 70 53
Email: ecpm@abolition.fr
Maria Donatelli
Director WCADP
Tel: +33 1 80 89 45 06
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Monday: Kevin Cooper Before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Dear Friends and Fellow Abolitionists,
This
is a reminder that you won't want to miss Kevin Cooper's hearing before
the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This is an historic
opportunity to present the issues of racism and injustices in Kevin's
case. For more background on the hearing, including powerful exhibits
submitted to the IACHR, visit www.freekevincooper.org
You can watch the hearing live! You will see the powerful testimony
by Kevin's attorneys, and hear recorded testimony by Kevin as well! The
hearing is Monday, October 28, 11:30 a.m. EST (NOTE: This is 8:30 am PST!)
There will be a live link to the Ruben Dario Room available on the
Organization of American States website. This is the address that the
live link for that room currently goes to: http://www.livestream.com/
Also, please send a letter of support to the IACHR! The commission is not expected to issue their decision on Monday, so letters before or after the hearing are good. You can send a letter here: http://org.salsalabs.com/o/
In solidarity,
Crystal
Kevin Cooper Defense Committee
Friday, October 18, 2013
The Campaign to End the Death Penalty's 13th Annual Convention
Beyond the Walls: Fighting
for Justice from the Inside Out!
November 1-3 in Austin,
Texas
This year's convention will once again coincide with the 14th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty – an event that will be at the heart of the weekend on Saturday November 2, at 2PM at the Texas State Capitol. We'll also be co-sponsoring a book launch event for I Am Troy Davis, new from Haymarket Books - we are honored to have De'Jaun Davis-Correia speaking about his uncle Troy who was innocent and executed in Georgia on September 21, 2011.
Former
prisoners, family members, and veterans of many of the CEDP's battles
will be represented at this year's convention as we highlight voices of
those most affected by the death penalty and strategize next steps for
fighting injustice in the prison system.
We are so thrilled to welcome Timothy McKinney to this year's convention! Tim was recently released from prison after being wrongfully incarcerated for 15 years. We are so happy that he is finally free and are looking forward to hearing from him over the weekend. And we will be joined also for the first time by Airicka-Gordon Taylor who will be speaking about the racist murder of her cousin Emmett Till during the Civil Rights era.
We are so thrilled to welcome Timothy McKinney to this year's convention! Tim was recently released from prison after being wrongfully incarcerated for 15 years. We are so happy that he is finally free and are looking forward to hearing from him over the weekend. And we will be joined also for the first time by Airicka-Gordon Taylor who will be speaking about the racist murder of her cousin Emmett Till during the Civil Rights era.
******************************
Featured Speakers will include:
FORMER PRISONERS:
Lawrence Hayes – Former New York death row prisoner
Mark Clements – Former Illinois juvenile life without parole prisoner and police torture victim
Shujaa Graham- Former death row prisoner in Illinois
*Several other former prisoners from Witness to Innocence
FAMILY MEMBERS:
De'Jaun Davis-Correia – Nephew
of innocent and executed Georgia death row prisoner Troy Davis. De'Juan
fought alongside his mother Martina Correia and the Davis family to
save the life of Troy.
Sandra Reed - mother of Texas death row prisoner Rodney Reed
Jack Bryson – Whose son was on the platform with Oscar Grant when Oscar was shot and killed by Oakland transit police
Barbara Lewis – Mother of Delaware death row prisoner Robert Gattis
Delia Perez Meyer - Sister of Texas death row prisoner Louis Castro Perez
Lawrence Foster, Sr. – Grandfather of former Texas death row prisoner Kenneth Foster, Jr. whose sentence was commuted to life in 2007
Airicka Gordon-Taylor – Cousin of Emmett Till and the Executive Director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, activist against police brutality and the new Jim Crow
The Kids Against the Death Penalty - young family members of Texas death row prisoner Jeff Woods, convicted under the unjust Law of Parties
OTHER SPEAKERS:
Liliana Segura - Journalist and editor at The Nation Magazine and CEDP Board member and activist
Lily Hughes - National Director of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty
******************************
Among the meetings:
I Am Troy Davis! Book launch and panel event! * Voices From the Struggle * Eyes on the Prize: New challenges for abolitionists
******************************
DONATE TO THE COSTELLA CANNON FUND
Every
year we make a special fundraising appeal to help raise money to send
family members, exonerated and former prisoners to our annual national convention-folks
who would otherwise not be able to afford to come. And every year, so
many of you are so very generous in helping make this a real
possibility.
Please help if you are able--your donations really do make a world of difference. Even if you're not able to donate much, it really does add up and we appreciate every dollar we receive!
You can donate online here: http://nodeathpenalty.
Please help if you are able--your donations really do make a world of difference. Even if you're not able to donate much, it really does add up and we appreciate every dollar we receive!
You can donate online here: http://nodeathpenalty.
Those preferring to mail a check can make it out to CEDP and mail it to: CEDP, P.O. Box 25730, Chicago, IL 60625.
Here is an excerpt from the Costella Cannon letter this year, written by Timothy McKinney:
"The CEDP did so much for me while I was on death row. They heard the call when I was in need. They published an article about my case and, when I wrote a thank you note, they published that too. All the while they were struggling and fighting for others. And even when people lost their lives, they stayed in there and continued to go strong.Since I walked out of Shelby County Jail in May after almost 16 years, I have had these 'Wow' moments. I had one the other day, talking to friends on the phone. I can talk to them without getting cut off every 15 minutes. I can sit at my family’s home and watch TV. And I can travel to Austin, Texas for the annual convention of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.
It’s been a dream. I used to read the stories about guys coming home, then going to speak at the convention. Now, I feel I’m a member of the Campaign, as well. I’ve become a part of the struggle. I have to keep speaking about my experience, and my life. I can pull more people in.
That is why I'm asking for your help to bring myself and other family members and former prisoners to the CEDP’s annual convention in November. Every year, the Costella Cannon Fund helps former prisoners, family members, and activists come together to share our stories and strategize about the next steps in our struggle."
Registration
for the weekend is $10 for family members and former prisoners and $15
for everyone else. The registration includes Saturday dinner - a special event at convention this year. Register online here or you can send a check made out to CEDP and mail to: CEDP, P.O. Box 25730, Chicago, IL 60625.
Hotel rooms available by calling the Ramada Inn: 512.454.1144 (mention the CEDP for a discounted rate).
Hotel rooms available by calling the Ramada Inn: 512.454.1144 (mention the CEDP for a discounted rate).
__._,_.___
Monday, October 07, 2013
Execution Watch: Michael Yowell, October 9
A manacled Michael Yowell is escorted to court
By Execution Watch
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A man with a history of mental illness is slated to be executed Wednesday over the objections of his appellate lawyers, who say he wouldn't have been convicted and sentenced to death if his trial attorneys had represented him properly.
Michael Yowell was condemned in the deaths of his parents and grandmother in Lubbock, Texas, in May 1998.
If the state follows through with its intention to execute Yowell, Execution Watch will broadcast live radio coverage and analysis, including a recently recorded interview with him, at 6 p.m. Central Time, streaming at http://executionwatch.org > Listen.
RADIO SHOW PREVIEW
EXECUTION WATCH
Unless a stay is issued, we'll broadcast live:
Wednesday, 9 October 2013, 6-7 PM Central Time
KPFT FM Houston 90.1 HD3 channel, and Online...
Updates and discussion on Facebook: Execution Watch
TEXAS PLANS TO EXECUTE:
MICHAEL YOWELL, convicted in a 1998 triple murder in Lubbock, in which Yowell's father, mother and grandmother died of injuries sustained before or during a fire at their home. Yowell's execution date has been delayed in the past, based on the contention that his trial lawyers did not provide effective representation. At the time of the slayings, Yowell had a history of mental illness.
SHOW LINEUP
Host: RAY HILL, an ex-convict and activist who founded -- and hosted for 30 years -- The Prison Show on KPFT. His internet radio show airs each Wednesday at 2 PM CT.: hmsnetradio.org.
Legal Analyst: JIM SKELTON, a legal educator, retired attorney and native Texan who has seen capital trials from both the prosecution and defense tables. Joining him will be Houston criminal defense attorneys SUSAN ASHLEY, LARRY DOUGLAS, MICHAEL GILLESPIE & JACK LEE.
Featured Interview: MICHAEL YOWELL, who accepted Execution Watch’s invitation to be interviewed, with the understanding that the audio recording would air unedited, in its entirety, and only in the event of his execution. The interview took place Aug. 28 on death row.
Reporter, Outside the Death House, Huntsville: GLORIA RUBAC, member, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, www.abolitionmovement.org.
Reporter, Vigil, Houston: DAVE ATWOOD, founder and former board member, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, www.tcadp.org.
NEXT SCHEDULED EXECUTION
On Oct. 16, Texas plans to kill LARRY HATTEN. If it does, Execution Watch will air coverage.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Otis Maclay.
Saturday, October 05, 2013
Text of Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy Letter to TDCJ Demanding Return of Execution Drugs
The owner of the Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, the pharmacy
that provided TDCJ's supply of Pentobarbital to be used in executions,
has sent a letter to TDCJ demanding that TDCJ return the
drugs. During the sale he was promised that his name would be kept "down
low" and it would be unlikely that someone would discover the name of
his pharmacy.
The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy Letter to TDCJ Regarding Their Purchase of Pentobarbital by Hooman
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Execution Watch: Arturo Diaz, Sept. 26
Arturo Diaz talks with a KRGV TV reporter on death row.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The Lone Star state, for the second time in as many weeks, plans Thursday to execute a poor Latino from the Rio Grande Valley.
KPFT-FM's Execution Watch will broadcast live coverage and commentary on the state killing of Arturo Diaz.
RADIO SHOW PREVIEW
EXECUTION WATCH
Unless a stay is issued, we'll broadcast live:
Thursday, 26 September 2013, 6-7 PM Central Time
KPFT FM Houston 90.1 and Online...
Updates and discussion on Facebook: Execution Watch
TEXAS PLANS TO EXECUTE:
ARTURO DIAZ,
convicted in the stabbing death of a McAllen man during a 1999 robbery
in which Diaz and another man reportedly went to an apartment seeking
drugs. Diaz is set to become the 10th person executed for crimes in the
Rio Grande Valley since 1982. Another 13 people are in Texas Death Row
for crimes in the Valley. On appeal, the Las Milpas man said his trial
lawyers failed to call relatives to testify about a childhood filled
with poverty, neglect and violence. The courts rejected the argument,
saying the attorneys were following Diaz’s instructions.
SHOW LINEUP
Host: RAY HILL, an ex-convict and activist who founded -- and hosted for 30 years -- The Prison Show on KPFT. His internet radio show airs each Wednesday at 2 PM CT.: hmsnetradio.org.
Legal Analyst: JIM SKELTON,
a legal educator, retired attorney and native Texan who has seen
capital trials from both the prosecution and defense tables. Joining him
will be Houston criminal defense attorneys SUSAN ASHLEY, LARRY DOUGLAS, MICHAEL GILLESPIE & JACK LEE.
Featured Interview: JOE FLORES, a
bilingual criminal defense lawyer based in Corpus Christi. His father
was an 8th-grade dropout and community activist who overcame civil
rights barriers to become a teacher at age 40.. Flores has defended
clients in state court and before the federal bench in the Southern
District of Texas, which stretches from Houston to the Rio Grande
Valley. His parents’ successes, political activism and volunteer work on
behalf of others inspired Joe at an early age to pursue his dreams, www.floreslawfirm.com.
Reporter, Outside the Death House, Huntsville: GLORIA RUBAC, member, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, www.abolitionmovement.org.
Reporter, Vigil, Houston: DAVE ATWOOD, founder and former board member, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, www.tcadp.org.
NEXT SCHEDULED EXECUTION
On Oct. 9, Texas plans to kill MICHAEL YOWELL. If it does, Execution Watch will air coverage.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Otis Maclay.
THEME: By Victoria Panetti, SheMonster International, myspace.com/shemonster.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Execution Watch: Robert Garza 9/19
Robert Garza and Family
By Execution Watch
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Texas is preparing to execute Robert Garza, convicted of having a secondary role in a pair of murders. If the state follows through with its plan, Execution Watch will broadcast live coverage and commentary, including a taped interview with Garza.
RADIO SHOW PREVIEW
EXECUTION WATCH
Thursday, 19 September 2013, 6-7 PM Central Time
KPFT FM Houston 90.1 and Online...
Updates and discussion on Facebook: Execution Watch
TEXAS PLANS TO EXECUTE:
ROBERT GARZA,
condemned following his conviction on a pair of murder charges in the
2002 shooting deaths of four women in the Rio Grande Valley. Garza’s
appeal was rejected in February 2013 by the U.S. Supreme Court. He
reportedly told law enforcement he witnessed the shootings and knew of
the plot to kill the women but did not fire a gun. A jury convicted him
of capital murder under the Texas law of parties, which allows for a
defendant to be considered just as responsible as the killer if he or
she plays a secondary role.
SHOW LINEUP
Host: RAY HILL, an ex-convict and activist who founded -- and hosted for 30 years -- The Prison Show on KPFT. His internet radio show airs each Wednesday at 2 PM CT.: hmsnetradio.org.
Legal Analyst: JIM SKELTON,
a legal educator, retired attorney and native Texan who has seen
capital trials from both the prosecution and defense tables. Joining him
will be Houston criminal defense attorneys SUSAN ASHLEY, LARRY DOUGLAS, MICHAEL GILLESPIE & JACK LEE.
Featured Interview: ROBERT GARZA, Execution Watch is scheduled to interview Garza Wednesday on death row. The complete, unedited interview will be broadcast..
Reporter, Outside the Death House, Huntsville: GLORIA RUBAC, member, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, www.abolitionmovement.org.
Reporter, Vigil, Houston: DAVE ATWOOD, founder and former board member, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, www.tcadp.org.
NEXT SCHEDULED EXECUTION
On Sept. 26, Texas plans to kill ARTURO DIAZ. If it does, Execution Watch will air coverage.
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