NCADP July Execution Alert

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

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

July 2006

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As Many As Ten Executions Scheduled in July

The month of July yields 10 executions. There will be at least one execution per week, and as many as four during the week of July 10th. Quite disturbingly, several of those scheduled to be put to death suffer from mental illness and are volunteers.

One example is Rocky Barton, scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio on July 12th. Walton has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and severe depression. He has surrendered all his appeals, but is incompetent to be executed.
Another example is William Downs, scheduled to be executed by the state of South Carolina on July 14th. At a competency hearing, a doctor ruled that Downs was mentally incapacitated at the time of his crime. Downs not only waived his right to a jury trial, but has surrendered his appeals.

Read more about these and the other cases below -- and ACT!



Do Not Execute Rocky Barton!

During Barton's trial, he waived his right to present mitigating evidence. This would normally require that the court investigate the defendant's competency, but it did not. Barton appealed on those grounds. However, the court found that his statement saying "if given the opportunity he would vote to impose the death penalty" was mitigating evidence. Thus the court denied Barton's appeal on the grounds that the competency investigation was not conducted.

That was the first and last appeal exhausted by Barton. He has since surrendered the remaining appeals that the legal system affords him.

In 2005, Barton was diagnosed by a jailhouse psychiatrist with schizophrenia and severe depression.
ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Robert Taft requesting that he stop the execution of Rocky Barton!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4298



Do Not Execute William Downs!

As many as 10 percent of people facing iminent execution on death row are volunteers. William Downs is one of these people.

After pleading guilty to his crime and citing mental illness, a competency hearing was held. A doctor testified that he was mentally incapacitated at the time of the crime to the extent that he could not comprehend the consequences of his actions. Two other doctors testified that his mental state did not sufficiently impede his comprehension ability. After waiving his right to a jury trial, a judge found Downs guilty and subsequently sentenced him to death. Downs has forfeited all of his appeals.

Do not let the state of South Carolina help William Down commit state-assisted suicide.

ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Mark Sanford requesting that William Downs’s execution be halted!

Read More and Take Action at: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4302



See and act on all current Execution Alerts at

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



July 5: Don Davis, AK
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4296

July 12: Rocky Barton, OH
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4298

July 12: Derrick O'Brien, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4301

July 14: Bobby Wilcher, MS
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4300

July 14: William Downs, SC
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4302

July 19: Mauriceo Brown, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4303

July 20: Robert Anderson, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4304

July 20: Brandon Hendrick, VA
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4306

July 25: Allen Bridgers, TX
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4307

July 27: Michael Lenz, VA
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4308