NCADP October Execution Alert

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

e - @ b o l i t i o n i s t
October 2006

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Seven Inmates scheduled for execution in October

Seven inmates are scheduled to be executed in October. The first execution is scheduled for Oct. 18, with three final executions scheduled to occur on Oct. 25. Those scheduled to be executed include one man whose trial depended upon testimony from an unreliable man and another who suffers from alcoholism and possible post traumatic stress disorder from his service in Vietnam.

Michael Johnson, who maintains his innocence, is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on Oct. 19.


Arthur Rutherford is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 18 by the state of Florida, despite the fact that his counsel failed to present his mental and psychological problems during his trial.

Read more about these and the other cases below -- and ACT!
Do Not Execute Michael Johnson!



Michael Johnson maintains that his accomplice, David Vest, is responsible for the murder of Jeff Wetterman. Vest confessed to the crime, yet the prosecutor withheld this information from the defense counsel. The prosecutor then called Vest as a witness, who stated under oath that Johnson killed Wetterman. In return, Vest received a lighter prison sentence for his confession. The state illegally withheld this confession, and also allowed Vest to commit perjury by making two different statements under oath.

This demonstrates that death row inmates often do not receive effective counsel. One judge even acknowledged the “troubling record of the State’s inconsistent pretrial and trial strategy with respect to the two codefendents.”

ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Rick Perry requesting that he stop the execution of Michael Johnson!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5277

Do Not Execute Arthur Rutherford!

Convicted of killing a woman for money, Rutherford’s counsel decided not to present evidence on his mental state to the jury. Rutherford suffers from what has been diagnosed as an anxiety disorder similar to post traumatic stress disorder. Also, he endured abuse during his childhood and is an alcoholic. While the defense had reason not to present this evidence during the trial, it should at least have come up during the sentencing phase as mitigating factors. His psychological state could have affected his judgment the day of the murder.
Arthur Rutherford’s counsel failed him, and the state of Florida should not execute him.

ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Jeb Bush requesting that Arthur Rutherford’s execution be halted!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1741



See and act on all current Execution Alerts at
http://www.ncadp.org/execution_alerts.html


October 18: Arthur Rutherford, FL
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1741

October 19: Michael Johnson, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5277

October 24: Jeffrey Lundgren, OH
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5278

October 25: Gregory Summers, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5306

October 25: Donnie Johnson, TN
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=224

October 25: Danny Rolling, FL
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5279

October 26: Larry Hutcherson, AL
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5454


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