This Month in MADP

April is the first full month of spring and signs of renewal are everywhere in nature. The same is true with the death penalty movement as signs of hope and optimism abound. Consider these important events this month:

• Connecticut repeals the death penalty. This month Connecticut became the 17^th state to end the death penalty---the fifth state in as many years to abandon this policy. When Governor Dannell P. Malloy signed the bill he was surrounded by murder victim family members. Their voices played a crucial role in convincing Connecticut lawmakers to support repeal. It was hard to ignore their message that executing another person would not help them heal or end their pain.

• California made the news this month when 800,000+ signatures were turned in as a petition to replace the death penalty in the state with life without parole. The signatures were more than enough to put the issue on the November ballot. Leading the petition campaign are several architects of the current death penalty system in the state. They are not afraid to call the current system, “a colossal failure.”

• North Carolina took an historic step forward when Judge Gregory Weeks recognized that racial bias was present in the jury selection of Marcus Robinson’s 1992 trial and reduced his death sentence to life without parole. The Robinson case was the first in North Carolina reviewed under the state’s Racial Justice Act passed in 2009.

• Ironically the Robinson decision came just days before the, 25^thMcCleskey v Kemp in which the Supreme Court rejected (5-4) claims of racial bias in the death case of Warren McCleskey based on a sophisticated study in Georgia. The court ruled that McCleskey had to show personal bias in his case. The McCleskey decision, however, did allow states to pass Racial Justice Acts to look at issues of race in their state. Kentucky and North Carolina are the only two states to have passed such legislation. Anniversary of

• National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was celebrated April 22-April 29 with the theme of “Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim” which has a special meaning in light of the continued disparities in services and support to victims based on race, economic status and attitudes toward capital punishment.

These national events all point to a greater awareness of the pitfalls of capital punishment…that the system is a costly failure filled with racial bias that does little to meet the real needs of victims.

While all these victories and events were happening around the country, one might ask where is the good news for Missouri?

Missouri is certainly not at the same point as Connecticut, California, or North Carolina. But we are making progress. We are building relationships with conservative legislators that will help us in the future. The recent ABA study provides a blueprint to raise awareness about the failure of Missouri’s death penalty and gives opportunities for meaningful legislation. We are doing outreach to valued voices in this debate, such as law enforcement and victim family members. All of these steps are important.

The road to repeal is difficult and each state faces its own unique challenges. But no matter where we are on our journey, we are all energized by the achievements of other states and can learn from their victories.

Hope springs eternal!! One day the victory will be ours!

Yours in solidarity,

Rita Linhardt

Chair, MADP

Today, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed legislation repealing the death penalty, making Connecticut the 17th state in the nation without a death penalty!

Connecticut is also the fifth state in five years to put an end to the death penalty, after Illinois, New Mexico, New Jersey, and New York. Montana, Colorado, Kansas, and Maryland have also considered repeal, and more than 800,000 California voters have signed to put the issue on the ballot in November. A recent New York Times editorial captured much of this action taking place across the country, declaring, “Connecticut is part of a growing movement against capital punishment.”

This momentum is in part spurred on by the strong voices of the families of homicide victims, who continue to play an important roll in the nation’s movement away from the failures of capital punishment. Nearly 200 family members helped led the effort in Connecticut, appearing at press conferences, called and visited lawmakers, appeared in the media, attended the votes in the General Assembly, and started a blog, www.ctvictimvoices.org.

Each new state that repeals the death penalty opens the doors a little wider for states like ours still wrestling with this failed system. "With so many states repealing or almost repealing the death penalty, it seems clear that people across the U.S. are recognizing what an incredible failure this policy has been,” said STATE ED.

The Death Penalty Information Center has issued it's 2010 year-end report. A clear trend is obvious: Across the nation, death sentences and executions are down again this year.