Texas Gov. Commutes Kenneth Foster's Death Sentence!

Great news!!!

Thank you to everyone who joined in the fight for Kenneth Foster - our phone calls, letters, faxes, outreach, made a difference! Kenneth Foster, his family, supporters, and activists built a movement that showed we CAN take on the Texas death machine and WIN!

We should all celebrate this fantastic victory, and then keep up the fight against the death penalty here in California and across the country. We have a lot of work to do, and building on this victory can help us push forward!

Thank you again to everyone who fought hard for Kenneth here in California - we sent a message that we won't let abolitionists and death row prisoners in Texas fight alone.

Onwards to Abolition!

The Bay Area Campaign to End the Death Penalty.


Crystal Bybee
California Coordinator
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
510-333-7966
crystal [at] nodeathpenalty.org
http://www.nodeathpenalty.org

Mark your calendars: The CEDP National Tour "A broken System...Crying out for Justice" is coming to San Francisco October 13th!



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5095648.html
Aug. 30, 2007, 12:06PM
Perry commutes sentences of man scheduled to die Thursday


By MICHAEL GRACZYK Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Gov. Rick Perry accepted a recommendation from the state parole board and said Thursday he would spare condemned prisoner Kenneth Foster from execution and commute his sentence to life.

Foster had been scheduled to die Thursday evening.

"After carefully considering the facts of this case, along with the recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment," Perry said in a statement.

"I am concerned about Texas law that allowed capital murder defendants to be tried simultaneously and it is an issue I think the Legislature should examine."

The seven-member parole board had voted 6-1 to recommend the commutation.

Perry did not have to accept the highly unusual recommendation from the board whose members he appoints.