27 June 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Court tosses death penalty in Arkansas

by: The Columbia Daily Tribune
published: 22 June 2012

The Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the state’s execution law today, calling it unconstitutional.

In a split decision, the high court sided with 10 death row inmates who argued that, under Arkansas’ constitution, only the legislature can set execution policy. Legislators in 2009 voted to give that authority to the Department of Correction.

“It is evident to this court that the legislature has abdicated its responsibility and passed to the executive branch, in this case the (Arkansas Department of Correction), the unfettered discretion to determine all protocol and procedures, most notably the chemicals to be used, for a state execution,” Justice Jim Gunter wrote in the majority opinion.

26 March 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Committee passes death penalty repeal bill

originally by: The Day
published: 22nd March 2012

A bill that would abolish the state’s death penalty for all future cases and replace the punishment with life imprisonment has passed its first round of votes in the General Assembly despite a recent poll’s findings that repeal is unpopular with a majority of voters. Members of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee voted 24-19 in favor of the bill on Wednesday. Now, the vote awaits further legislative action by the state’s Senate.

The vote on the bill came shortly after a new Quinnipiac University poll showed 62 percent of Connecticut residents do not support repealing the death penalty.

16 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Troy Davis Nephew De’Jaun Davis-Correia on what’s next

originally by: TheRoot
published: 8th February 2012

Antone De’Jaun Davis-Correia was more than proud to be selected as one of The Root’s 25 Young Futurists last year; he was relieved. He saw it as validation of his work to abolish the death penalty. But since receiving that honor in February of 2011, the teen, who goes by “De’Jaun,” lost his grandmother, his uncle was executed and his mother died of cancer.

De’Jaun, 17, of Savannah, Ga., was born into the debate about capital punishment. His uncle, Troy Davis, was already on death row for the August 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail.