Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona

Letter to Editor: County Attorney’s Execution Column Weak

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Dale Baich, a federal public defender who represents death-row prisoners, wrote a response to a letter to the editor by County Attorney Bill Montgomery.  Montgomery, who in turn was responding to a column previously mentioned in this blog, claimed that the inmates had earned their death sentences.  Baich disagreed:

What the county attorney fails to mention is that the equally if not more culpable co-defendants of Richard Stokley, Daniel Cook and Robert Towery were offered plea deals and have been released from prison. Thomas Kemp’s equally culpable co-defendant received a life sentence. Both Samuel Lopez and Robert Moorman were severely mentally impaired. Moorman was described by experts as having the mind of a 12-year-old child.

To read the entire letter, please click here.

Editorial column in Arizona Republic

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EJ Montini, a columnist for The Arizona Republic, published a column earlier this month addressing the death penalty and SB 1048, which would have repealed capital punishment.  Montini wrote:

Before we decide whether to kill the pretty young accused murderer Jodi Arias there are a few people in Arizona who would like us to ask ourselves if we should kill anyone.

 

“The reason I introduced the bill ([S]B1048) and will keep introducing the bill is that I hope someday we will repeal the death penalty,” said state Sen. Ed Ableser, a Democrat from Tempe. “I have to maintain a hope that we can talk about capital punishment in a serious way.”

You can read the whole column, which also features quotes from DPAA Co-President Dan Peitzmeyer, by clicking here.

Editorial: Arizona can be next state to reject the death penalty

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An editorial “My Turn” column by Bob Quick ran in Sunday’s The Arizona Republic.  Bob argued:

As we begin Arizona’s second century, it is time for a candid dialogue on the future of capital punishment. We need to evaluate its fair and equitable administration, deterrence, cost effectiveness, and its morality.

Is the death penalty a core Arizona value to carry forward into our second century?

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My fellow Arizonans, our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage challenges us to stand up and be counted. It is not our destiny to be spiritual couch potatoes. It is our obligation to be in solidarity with the poor, the broken, the disenfranchised, the imprisoned and the condemned.

The Arizona death penalty must be discarded as was slavery, indentured servitude, child labor and opposition to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

To read the entire editorial, please click here.

Clemency Hearing for Edward Schad

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February 27, 2013, 8:30 a.m., Arizona State Prison Complex, Florence, Arizona

Edward Schad, who is scheduled to be executed on March 6 at 10:00 a.m. for the 1978 murder of Lorimar Groves, a 74-year-old Bisbee resident, has a clemency hearing scheduled at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. We strongly encourage everyone at least to submit a written statement to the Board for consideration. (Please submit it in time for the Board to be able to consider your statement before the February 27 hearing.) To submit a statement, please contact:

Arizona Board of Executive Clemency
1645 W Jefferson Ste 101
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Fax: (602) 542-5680

Please also click here for additional events related to Mr. Schad’s execution.

ASU’s Local to Global Justice Teach-In

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February 22 to 24, 2013 (DPAA will be on a panel on February 24)
1050 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287

DPAA has been selected to participate in the panel, entitled “Local to Global Struggles for Human Rights” scheduled for Sunday morning (February 24th) at 11 a.m. in Education 117.

Here’s more information about the event from the Local to Global Justice web site.

For the past 11 years, Local to Global Justice has organized Teach-Ins that serve as social forums and the event has continued to expand in the number and quality of workshops, musicians, and speakers. It is always free and includes two to three healthy meals. Over 150 people attended the first Teach-In, and attendance at recent teach-ins has ranged from 300-500 people. We are anticipating another excellent turnout for the February 22-24, 2013 Teach-In!

 

The 12th annual Teach-In is titled Justice for Women/Justice for All, and will again include more panels and plenary sessions to maximize cross-group dialogue. We have invited speakers working nationally and internationally for women’s rights and social justice.

As in past Teach-Ins, there will again be a hands-on exhibit of permaculture gardening and other skill shares, engaging activities and workshops for children and youth, and tabling from over 40 campus and community groups. We will again feature music and performances from a number of groups from the Southwest, including indigenous musicians.

For more information, please see the Local to Global Justice events page.

DPAA Annual Meeting, March 2 in Tempe

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Please join us for our annual meeting on March 2, 2013, at Armstrong Hall at Arizona State University. Featuring:

  • Keynote speaker Gary L. Stuart, author of Innocent Until Interrogated about the Buddhist Temple massacre in western Phoenix area on August 10, 1991, in which five innocent men under intense interrogation confessed.
  • Abolitionist of the Year Award
  • To register or for more information, please click here.

DPAA launches new website

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DPAA logo

Welcome to the new website for Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona (DPAA), which you can reach at www.azdeathpenalty.org.

We’ll be posting news and events at that website, but we hope you’ll check back often at this blog (or add it to your RSS reader).  On occasion, we’ll post updates, articles, collections of useful links, and other information.

You can also follow us on our Facebook and Twitter sites to keep up with our latest updates.

If you want to reach us, please see our Contact page, or send an email to info@azdeathpenalty.org.

Phoenix Contact

3905 N 7th Ave Unit 33126
Phoenix, AZ 85067-3126
info@azdeathpenalty.org
(602) 357-4848

Tucson Contact

info@azdeathpenalty.org
(602) 357-4848, ext. 1

Flagstaff Contact

info@azdeathpenalty.org
(602) 357-4848, ext. 2