Tag: USA

Texas


It is sad to record that a Mexican, Ramiro Hernandes Llanas  has been executed in #Texas.  This is despite many misgivings about the mental capacity of Ramiro.  It is Governor Rick Perry’s 275th execution in the state which must be some kind of a record.

Most cities, towns and states promote their location as an ideal place to live.  They say how attractive it is, how well connected it is to the highway or rail network, they talk about the culture and leisure activities on offer and so on.  The governor of Texas by contrast promotes the use of the death penalty.  In an article in the New Yorker in February, following a decision by the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, to suspend the death penalty there, Rick Perry was quoted as saying ‘vote with your feet and move to Texas, where the death penalty is thriving.’   Thriving?  In what was described as an emotional speech, he added ‘Come to Texas, the death penalty is alive and well here.’  ‘We believe in the sanctity of death.’  It is truly extraordinary to be promoting this barbaric penalty as an encouragement to move to your state.

There appear to be several reasons to explain why Texas executes more than any other state in the Union.  One is that judges are elected and accordingly have to respond to the wishes of those who elected them.  Presumably, there are many who see a benefit to executions and hence elect those who campaign for it to be used.  It is suggested that the quality of judges appointed by this method is lower than in other states as evidenced by the failure by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to publish most of its death penalty decisions.

A frequent problem in the cases we have asked you to write about, is the poor quality of the lawyers representing the accused many of whom do not have any relevant experience of murder trials.

Although Texas does not sentence more people to death than other states, it does execute more because it has speeded up the process from conviction to execution.

But where does this desire to use the penalty come from?  In his book The American Future, a History (Bodley Head), Simon Schama describes the violent history and founding of the state.  It essentially involved the removal of the indigent Mexican population and the introduction of slaves.  Following the near liquidation of the native Indians, then the expulsion of the Mexicans and the introduction of slavery, it is a state where there is a ‘cultural tradition of dehumanising certain groups of people’ (Ned Walpin, Frontline, Online).  This applies to all the states of the former Confederacy and accounts for the fact that 90% of all executions are carried out within them (ibid).  It is further argued that there is a link between executions and lynching, both of which go to show ‘who’s boss’ and as a means to exclude certain groups from society.  It is no coincidence that this latest appeal is for Ramiro a Mexican.  Gradually, executions replaced the illegal lynchings but served the same purpose of satisfying the predominantly white population’s desire to exclude black and Mexican people from society.

There is a lot of debate in America surrounding Rick Perry’s faith which is said to be strong and genuine.  He started life as a Methodist but has recently become an Evangelical and moved away from GW Bush’s church in Austin to support a mega church at Lake Hill.  He is in favour of teaching creationism and intelligent design and regards evolution as ‘just a theory’.

All this matters because he wants to run for president of the USA and so his attitude to execution and what that says about his political and liberal beliefs could be important.

Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and it is unsettling to see it being promoted, not as some kind of necessary evil, but as though it is a thriving industry to be encouraged and lauded.  Poor quality advocacy, packed juries and a dismissal of proper analysis by the appeals process results in many unnecessary deaths.

Sources:

Frontline, Online; http://www.pbs.org

The American Spectator

The New Yorker

Texas April 14

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Death Penalty summary


This is the April summary for the group on the #deathpenalty and its use around the world prepared by Lesley (Word).

Death penalty summary April 14

 

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Death penalty update


Each month, the group receives an update on the death penalty which can be accessed below.  A lot focuses on the USA3925 which still provides some grim news although there is good news that Glenn Ford was released after 30 years on death row.  In fairness however, although a large number of people are executed in the USA, they are some way behind China and Iran in terms of the numbers who are executed sometimes after brief trials and the use of torture to extract confessions.  How many are executed in China is a state secret.

Death penalty summary March

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Death row man released


When we run campaigns to end the use of the death penalty, we get a variety of responses.  Many people walk by not wanting to be involved.  Some will come and readily sign the petition.  A few will shout at us or say that they agree with the death penalty and want to see it reintroduced into the UK.

Glenn Ford at his release.  Picture: AP

Quite apart from the moral case against the practice, the major problem is that mistakes cannot be undone.  Once someone is executed, discovering that they were innocent is not a lot of use.  Evidence of this is the recent release of Glenn Ford in Louisiana, USA, after having served 30 years in the notorious Angola Prison.

The case has all the familiar hallmarks of other people released in these circumstances.  Firstly he was black and that is still a problem in the southern states.  Secondly, the prosecution ensures that there is an all-white jury.  Thirdly, the defence council is inexperienced and in this case, he was a corporate lawyer and it was his first time in front of a jury.  Add in dodgy expert testimony and a man now known to be innocent spends 30 years of his life in gaol waiting to be executed.  It now appears the key witness lied and she has admitted that and the Shreveport Times – Shreveport is where the murder was committed – reports that key evidence that would have exonerated him was withheld.   This or other evidence, was discovered by a Sherriff’s investigator and led to his release.

Glenn goes adds to the list of 144 other people released from death row since 1973.  Of course we cannot read across to this country the circumstances of the south in the USA.  Even so, this should give pause for thought to those keen on a reintroduction of the penalty to this country.  Recent revelations about the activities of the Metropolitan Police show that ensuring a scrupulously fair trial cannot be relied upon.

Amnesty is opposed to the use of the death penalty in all cases.

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