Get the Facts

Six Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty

The death penalty is racist.
The death penalty punishes the poor.
The death penalty condemns the innocent to die.
The death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crime.
The death penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment."
The death penalty fails to recognize that guilty people have the potential to change, denying them the opportunity to ever rejoin society.

The United States is the only country in the Western industrialized world that still uses the death penalty. Since 1990, 30 countries have abolished the death penalty. Among the 74 countries who continue to execute, a tiny group accounts for the vast majority of the world’s executions each year— China, Iran, Vietnam and the United States.

Rodney Reed: Innocent on Death Row

Rodney Reed is facing an execution date of March 5, 2015, and was recently denied important DNA testing that could prove his innocence. Rodney has been on Texas death row since 1998. He was convicted of killing Bastrop woman Stacey Stites in 1996. In March of 2006, Judge Reva Towslee-Corbett (daughter of the original trial judge) heard testimony from several witnesses which linked Stacey's fiancée and former police officer Jimmy Fennell to the crime. The defense also showed how some of this eyewitness testimony was hidden from the defense at the time of trial. However, both the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the federal 5th Circuit Court ruled to deny relief. Hidden eyewitness evidence is not the only problem in this case. Consider these facts:

Rodney Fact Sheet Date2.pdf

Download Rodney Reed Petition

Download this PDF petition for Rodney Reed.

Rodney petitionDate2.pdf

KEVIN COOPER: JUSTICE DENIED

Kevin Cooper is an African-American man who was convicted and sentenced to death in 1985 for the murders of a white family: Doug and Peggy Ryen and their daughter Jessica and their house- guest Christopher Hughes. The Ryen’s 8 year old son Josh was also attacked and left for dead, but survived. The State of California intends to execute Mr. Cooper in the next few months.

2010_Kevin_Cooper_Facts.pdf

Justice for Louis Castro Perez... TEST ALL THE DNA!

Louis Castro Perez has been on Texas’ death row since 1999 for the 1998 murders of Cynda Barz, Stacy Mitchell, and Michelle Fulweiler. Louis was convicted based on his DNA being found at the crime scene. The presence of his DNA is explained by the fact that he was a guest in the home and likely interrupted the crime in progress. There were also several samples of foreign DNA and foreign fingerprints found at the scene that were never tested, and no attempt was made to match the foreign DNA to another suspect. Like so many who languish on death row, Louis is the victim of a sinister combination of prosecutorial misconduct and crime lab incompetence.

LOUSFS2.pdf

Ten Reasons Why You Should Support Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal has been taken off of death row after spending almost two decades for the killing of a Philadelphia police officer. An award-winning journalist, political activist and one-time member of the Black Panther Party, Mumia has faced one miscarriage of justice after another. Mumia is now serving a life sentence and the movement to free him continues. Consider these ten reasons to support Mumia, and join the fight to free Mumia.

A Travesty of Justice: The execution of Troy Davis

On September 21, 2011, the whole world watched in horror as Georgia executed Troy Davis, an innocent man. In a movement spearheaded by Troy's family, people poured into the streets demanding that his execution be stopped.

The execution of Troy Davis exposed the brutality of the system and inspired a new generation of people to fight against it. Read below the details of his case, how people stood against this legal lynching, and where we go from here.

Free Rob Will!

On the night of December 4th, 2000 Rob and a friend were stealing parts from a parked car in a residential Houston area. Two police officers spotted them and Rob and his friend fled, while the officers chased after them. Deputy Barrett Hill caught and apprehended Rob, put him in handcuffs and radioed in, “I have one in custody”. Moments later, Rob's friend arrived at the scene of the arrest, pulled his weapon and shot Deputy Hill several times, killing him. During the shooting, Rob was also shot in the hand.

Is Kenny Collins an Innocent Man?

Kenny Collins is on Maryland’s death row. He claims he is innocent. No physical evidence, eye-witnesses, nor confession links Kenny Collins to the crime.

Kenny Collins is on Maryland’s death row. He claims he is innocent. You decide:

No physical evidence, eye-witnesses, nor confession links Kenny Collins to the crime. Kenny Collins has always maintained his innocence and continues to do so to this day. Kenny’s conviction depended upon the testimony of three unreliable prosecution witnesses.

Vernon Evans

Vernon Evans is currently on death row in Maryland. His pending execution was stayed in February of 2006. Here are five reasons to oppose the execution of Vernon Evans and a fact sheet and petition to download.

Stop the Execution: 5 Reasons to Oppose the Execution of Vernon Evans

Thomas Arthur: Will Alabama execute an innocent man?

Thomas Arthur has been on Alabama’s death row for 30 years. He was convicted of killing Troy Wicker in 1982, but has always maintained his innocence. Recently, a federal appeals court stayed Arthur’s March 29 execution on a lethal injection technicality – but that stay could be lifted at any time.

The real question remains however; will Thomas Arthur be executed in Alabama without being allowed to have DNA testing that could prove his innocence?

A Story of Injustice: Darrell Lomax

Darrell Lomax is an innocent man on California’s Death Row on a void conviction, and throughout the whole of his 15 years in prison he has been deprived of his state and federal constitutional rights to challenge the legality of his false conviction.

Contact:

FACT SHEET Darrell Lomax.PDF

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