Death Penalty

Act Now to Save Troy Davis from Execution!

Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark MacPhail in Georgia. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even during the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's nine non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

Support S.650 "The Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009"

As momentum builds in states to abolish the death penalty, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold reintroduced legislation on March 19, 2009 to abolish the death penalty at the federal level. Feingold's Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009 would put an immediate halt to federal executions and forbid the use of the death penalty as a sentence for violations of federal law. The use of the death penalty has been questioned by a range of prominent voices across the country, recently repealed in New Mexico and New Jersey. Feingold's bill would stop executions on the federal level, which are part of a death penalty system that has proven to be ineffective, wrought with racial disparities, and alarmingly costly.

Support the Racial Justice Act of California!

The California Racial Justice Act (RJA) would ensure that no one is sentenced to die in California because of race or ethnicity. The RJA would create a procedure for the court to determine whether race was a significant factor in the decision to seek or impose the death penalty in a particular case.

Opening Ceremony of 4th World Congress: Address at the Palais des Nations

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Elizabeth Zitrin, DPF's International Coordinator, addressed the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva, as the representative of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

19th Annual Awards Dinner

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Join us in Beverly Hills at DPF's 19th Awards Dinner honoring Alec Baldwin, Paul Haggis, Sherry & Leo Frumkin, Richard Dieter and Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ.

Johnny Depp advocates for the West Memphis 3

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

On Saturday, 48 Hours Mystery featured a program on the West Memphis 3: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are serving prison terms in Arkansas for murders they most likely did not commit. Echols is on death row.

DPF Opens the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty

Fri, 26 Feb 2010

DPF International coordinator Elizabeth Zitrin represented the World Coalition at the Opening Ceremony of the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, joining Spanish President Zapatero and international dignitaries and ministers.

Why stretch and manipulate the truth?

Fri, 26 Feb 2010

Last Friday’s Opinion piece by Gary Lieberstein and John Poyner in the San Jose Mercury News contains so many factual inaccuracies and politically inspired half-truths that I’m surprised they attached their names.

New Books on the Death Penalty

Wed, 24 Feb 2010

New books on the death penalty.

A Sad Commentary on Our State's Priorities

Mon, 22 Feb 2010

In a recent op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Prisons can’t afford to cut rehabilitation funds,” Harriet Salarno, President of Crime Victims United, and Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County) clearly show the disastrous affect budget cuts to rehabilitation programs will have on California’s public safety.

DPF's Inland Valley Chapter sponsors Essay Contest for students

Fri, 19 Feb 2010

The Inland Valley Chapter of Death Penalty focus is sponsoring an Essay Contest for students. The deadline to enter is April 16, 2010 and cash prizes will be awarded for the winning essays.

A Not So Smart Solution

Wed, 17 Feb 2010

State Senator Tom Harman (R-Orange County) is attempting to fast-track executions in California as well as change how lethal injections are administered, providing a so-called “smart and simple solution” to concerns about whether or not poisoning prisoners to death is cruel and unusual punishment.

Even Texas is looking at the staggering cost of the death penalty

Fri, 12 Feb 2010

Check out this MSNBC Nightly News segment on why even Texas is turning away from the death penalty for financial reasons. Texas only had 9 new death sentences in 2009, compared to 29 in California.

World Abolitionists to Meet in Geneva

Tue, 09 Feb 2010

The Fourth World Congress Against the Death Penalty will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, February 24-26.

Debating the death penalty's cost

Fri, 05 Feb 2010

My new post on Care2 about the death penalty has been getting a lot of comments. One of the most common sentiments expressed in the comments is that we should try to make the death penalty process cheaper and faster. In response to this, I posted a comment myself about why this is simply not possible.