Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty to deliver over 5,000 petition signatures to Governor Parson.
(Jefferson City) -- Amber McLaughlin was sentenced to death for the 2003 murder of Beverly Guenther in St. Louis County, MO. Amber is facing an unconstitutional death sentence. A sentence that was decided by a St. Louis County judge after a jury could not conclude that she deserves the ultimate punishment.
Amber is set to be killed by the state of Missouri on January 3rd, 2023 at 6:00 pm at ERDCC in Bonne Terre, MO. Last week attorneys sent a petition for clemency to Governor Parson and the parole board asking for a commutation of the capital sentence to life without parole.
"Amber’s childhood of extreme physical and mental abuse caused her to become a mentally and physically unstable adult. Amber’s childhood abuse resulted in mental illness and her counsel failed to present the most compelling of this evidence at her trial. Even without this evidence, jurors could not unanimously agree on the death sentence. Governor Parson should absolutely stop this execution! It was not decided by a jury, and does not reflect the consciousness of the community," said Elyse Max, Co-Director, of MADP.
Hung Jury. Missouri has a loophole that allows a trial judge to overrule a deadlocked jury and impose a sentence of death. After hearing all the evidence, the jurors could not unanimously conclude that Amber should be sentenced to death. They weren’t convinced that Amber deserved the most severe punishment the justice system can offer. But because of Missouri’s legal loophole, the trial judge was able to overrule the deadlock jury (hung jury) and impose a death sentence for Amber. This is a gross misuse of judicial power. A jury of our peers, not an individual, is supposed to determine justice.
WHOLeaders and volunteers from Missouri and Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) and supporters will be available for comment
WHEN:
Tuesday, December 27th at noon
WHERE:
The Missouri Capitol Rotunda, Jefferson City
201 W Capitol Ave, Jefferson City, MO 65101
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