I imagine angels weeping today. But no soul shuddering sobs of despair are heard.

I imagine angels weeping quiet tears of recognition. These are the same tears we shed when we encounter a thing of extraordinary beauty, or are touched by unexpected and we think, undeserved compassion.

These...

Yesterday, Governor John Kitzhaber imposed a moratorium on executions in Oregon.

He did not, as much as I might like to see it, end the death penalty.

Faced with deciding whether to allow the execution of Gary Haugen on December 6th, he did the right thing. He...

Capital punishment is continuing to lose credibility as a reasonable response to crime. While we all have some level of understanding of the desire to see a murderer suffer a fate in kind, in practice the idea of making sure murderer's get their just desserts, we are coming to see...

The U.S. Supreme Court and the country have grappled with the central question of how to administer the most severe punishment imaginable in a manner that is accurate, free from bias and demonstrably fair.

Not coincidentally Georgia has been at the center of this inquiry. First in 1972,

What if I told you that I had a product that would make neighborhoods safer, and still hold violators accountable for their criminal acts? What if I told you, that while there were a few bugs to work out, I could deliver on the product's promises?

...

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee. He was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. They were demonstrating for the right to collectively bargain, and to unionize under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). This year, unions around...

March 9, 2011

When I heard the news about Governor Quinn signing legislation to repeal the death penalty in Illinois today, I remembered a speech given by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to the Minnesota Women Lawyers Association in 2001. Justice O'Connor, by no means a moral opponent of...

I should watch more TV.

Late last year, I wrote about a compelling and award-winning article by David Grann that was published September 2009 in the New Yorker. Entitled "Trial by Fire," it was the story of Cameron Todd Willingham and the probability that he was sentenced to...

Although it has been a while since I've hit the pavement, particularly during these dog days of summer, I still consider myself a runner. I love the sweet-tired feeling of accomplishment when I complete a long distance run.

Lynn Greer, the Secretary on the Board of Directors...

Ronnie Lee Gardner's death by a Utah firing squad is an anomaly. Despite the curiosity generated by the high-profile manner of imposing the punishment, the death penalty is on the wane in America.

A new Rasmussen poll released June 8 shows that public support for the death...

Happy Anniversary New Mexico! Today is the first anniversary of the day when Governor Bill Richardson's signature made New Mexico the third state in three years to repeal the death penalty. With the stroke of a pen (and much hard work before that) New Mexico abandoned a legal institution crumbling...

Recently it was brought to my attention that some novelty item manufacturers make simulated electric chair executions. Life-like mannequins are strapped into realistic-looking devices which buzz and crackle as the figures convulse or scream with every "jolt." Some models include "smoke" emitting from the figures. A few videotaped examples are...

Three years ago, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia wrote:

"[There has not been] a single case -- not one -- in which it is clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit. If such an event had occurred in recent years, we would...

On Father's Day we pause to acknowledge and honor the crucial role that fathers play in our families, our communities, and our nation. In the midst of the barbecues and the ceremonial exchange of ties and golf clubs, there are fathers for whom this must be the worst of times....

One of the many disturbing aspects of capital punishment is that it has no guarantee against mistaken convictions and executions. This risk of mistakes was driven home again on May 12th, just days ago, when a Tennessee District Attorney dropped all charges against former death row inmate Paul House, who...

I will be the first to admit that I am not a biblical scholar and lay no claim to a particularly profound understanding of Easter from a theological perspective. Nevertheless, I would respectfully submit that Easter is an appropriate time to reflect on the institution of capital punishment.

For one...

New Mexico is known for its breathtaking mountain ranges and vast deserts; its Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Inscription Rock at El Morro; its 13,161 foot tall Wheeler Peak; its mineral wealth contributing to its economy, notably its uranium, manganese and copper; its leadership in exploring ways to harness and...

If you think forensic science is always accurate and results in mistake-proof crime convictions as portrayed on "CSI" and other TV crime dramas, a new report by the National Research Council strongly indicates otherwise.

The report says that many forensic methods relied upon by police and prosecutors...

When one hears the term "abolitionists" one automatically thinks of the courageous men and women, white and African American, who aided runaway slaves fleeing to freedom in the nation's Northern states and Canada.

A parallel abolitionist movement developed in the U.S. of the late 18th century, continuing into the 19th...

The outcome of the election for President, and for state and local legislators, not only demonstrates how much Americans want change. It confirms Americans' commitment to our fundamental values of equality and fairness. It gives me reason to hope that we will soon see the end of the death penalty....