December Execution Alert (USA)

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

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

December 2005

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US to Mark 1,000th Execution in December

The United States is scheduled this week to witness its 1,000th execution since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, but even as it reaches this milestone opponents said capital punishment may be falling out of favor.

"This is a time for somber and sober reflection but the United States is slowly turning away from the death penalty," said the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "Death sentences are down 50 percent since the late 1990s to around 150 a year. Executions are down 40 percent from the high of 98 in 1999." (exerpted from Reuters, 28 November 2005)

Click here to continue reading: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/news.jsp?key=1957

Or, go here to learn more about the upcoming 1,000th Execution: http://www.1000executions.org/index.php



Execution Day Draws Near for North Carolina's Kenneth Lee Boyd

Kenneth Lee Boyd, who suffers from a number of mental and emotional problems, is scheduled to become the 1,000th man executed in the US since 1976. The execution is scheduled to occur on Friday, December 2nd at 2 a.m. in Raleigh, NC.

At Boyd’s trial, expert witnesses testified as to Boyd’s psychiatric state of mind. Dr. Patricio Lara testified that Boyd suffered from adjustment disorder with psychotic emotional features, alcohol abuse, and personality disorder with predominate compulsive dependant features. Meanwhile, he has been cooperative with authorities and has no prior criminal record.

States are not allowed to execute those who are mentally retarded. By letting this execution go through the state of North Carolina will be committing a most profound human rights violation.

Act now by contacting Governor Michael Easely and asking that Boyd's execution be halted!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1582

Also, learn more about the activities planned to protest the 1000th execution at: http://www.1000executions.org/index.php

Act Now to Stop Maryland Execution!

Wesley Eugene Baker - who is schedule to be executed the week of December 5th - maintains his innocence in the 1992 murder of Jane Frances Tyson, a white woman, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Baker also claims that a recent statistical study, commissioned by Gov. Glendening in Sept. 2002, shows that the death penalty in Maryland is imposed in a racially biased and unconstitutional way.

According to the study, released in January 2003, the death penalty is 2.5 times more likely to be sought against those who commit black-on-white murders than against those who commit white-on-white murders. In addition, the study also found that Baltimore County is multiple times more likely than other counties to seek the death penalty.

Clearly Baker’s case faced possible bias because of his race, his victim’s race, and the county in which he was tried.

Act now by contacting Governor Ehrlich and asking that Baker's execution be halted!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1626

See and act on all current Execution Alerts at

http://www.ncadp.org/execution_alerts.html



December 2: Kenneth Boyd, NC
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1582

December 2: Shawn Humphries, SC
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1585

December 5-9: Wesley Baker, MD
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1626

December 13: Stanley Williams, CA
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1592

December 14: John Nixon, MS
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1627





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