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UID:Indybay-18527334
SEQUENCE:18561074
CREATED:20080818T022700Z
DESCRIPTION:Berkeley Green Mondays presents an insightful and stimulating discussion of 
 the death penalty. Three outstanding speakers - including an exonerated 
 prisoner- will discuss their unique perspectives on the overall impact of 
 the death penalty on society. You'll hear the personal stories of the 
 presenters, the racial disparities, the history, and much more. The evening 
 will include time for Q & A. \n\nSpeakers:Aaron Owens, Exonerated of Murder 
 Charges\nElizabeth Zitrin Attorney, Death Penalty Focus\nJudy Kerr, 
 California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, brother of 
 Murder Victim\n\nAaron Owens (Exonerated Prisoner)\nAaron Owens was 
 convicted of 2 counts of 1st degree murder in Alameda County in 1973. he 
 received a life sentence and served for almost 10 years until his release 
 in 1982. \nOne of Aaron Owens' best friends is John Taylor, the prosecutor 
 who convinced the jury that Owens was guilty -the man who sent him to 
 prison for two life sentences for a double murder he did not commit. And 
 Taylor is also the man who is responsible for Aaron now being free. 
 \nThough Aaron's conviction was for a capital offense, it came at a time 
 when California had a moratorium on the death penalty due to the U.S. 
 Supreme Court ruling in Furman v. Georgia. That stroke of luck meant he was 
 sentenced to life instead. "If not for the moratorium, I would have been 
 dead in '76 because that's when they affirmed my conviction," Owens said. 
 \nAaron's conviction was simply a case of mistaken eyewitness 
 identification. Thanks to John Taylor, Aaron received a full pardon and was 
 released in 1982 after 10 years in prison. But he never received any 
 compensation and the conviction still appears on his record, which has made 
 life after prison even more difficult. Aaron now works for John, doing 
 investigation and legal work. Both fan's of the Oakland A's, you will often 
 find them sitting at the ballpark together, friends with a unique bond.  
 \n\nElizabeth Zitrin (DPF Speaker)\nElizabeth Zitrin is an attorney and 
 currently serves as the California Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for 
 Amnesty International. She serves on the Board of Directors of Death 
 Penalty Focus, the ACLU of Northern California and the Advisory Board of 
 the Northern California Innocence Project.  She represents Death Penalty 
 Focus on the Steering Committee of the World Coalition Against the Death 
 Penalty, where she chairs the USA Working Group. She is a frequent speaker 
 on the death penalty. Elizabeth holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and a 
 J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.\n\nJudy Kerr (Victim 
 Speaker)\nJudy Kerr's brother, Robert James Kerr, was found lifeless, 
 shirtless, barefoot and without identification on July 12, 2003 in Everett, 
 Washington.  She is still waiting for a suspect to be named and for justice 
 to take its course.  But she is absolute in her conviction that justice 
 through execution is not the justice needed. She does not support the death 
 penalty and instead honors her brother's life by standing against the death 
 penalty and working as the Victim Outreach Liaison/Spokesperson for 
 California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. \n\n \n\n 
 \n\n\n\n\n\n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/17/18527334.php
SUMMARY:Berkeley Green Monday: The Death Penalty: 3 Perspectives
LOCATION:Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704\nFree. Open to 
 all. Wheelchair Accessible.
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/17/18527334.php
DTSTART:20080916T023000Z
DTEND:20080916T043000Z
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