Death Penalty News

This election cycle is shaping up differently, as capital punishment rises to the forefront of GOP politics. The death penalty has long been the “dirty secret” of America. Politicians have steered away from addressing the topic publicly while using it behind the scenes to advance agendas. According to The Associated Press, capital punishment has not been a major campaign issue in a presidential election in 30 years.

Former Denver Chief Deputy District Attorney Craig Silverman recently wrote about why he changed his mind about supporting the death penalty and expressed new fears regarding its future use.  His op-ed was published on August 29, 2023 in the Colorado Sun.  Mr. Silverman writes that capital punishment was a prominent issue in his campaign for Denver District Attorney, and he himself prosecuted death penalty cases and publicly supported its use. But he writes that he now has “newfound support for abolishing capital punishment” for reasons he characterizes as “personal.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence wants to speed up federal executions for people convicted of carrying out mass shootings. Pence also wants other steps including providing law enforcement with “what they need” and more federal funding for school guards. “But at the end of the day, I also believe that justice delayed is justice denied. And I'm calling for an expedited federal death penalty for anyone engaged in a mass shooting like took place in Jacksonville,” Pence told CBS News’s Face The Nation on Sunday.

The US presidential election has been plunged into disarray after Donald Trump and his wife Melania tested positive for coronavirus following weeks in which the US president sought to suggest the worst of the pandemic was over. Trump announced his positive test in a dramatic tweet at 1am, prompting US television networks to go to live coverage of the 74-year old president’s health and his election campaign cancelled a planned event in the key battleground state of Florida. The president and his wife were tested after one of his closest aides, the White House counsellor Hope Hicks, began showing symptoms earlier this week as she travelled to campaign events around the country with Trump’s entourage, including several other family members. “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” Trump tweeted, adding that they would begin quarantine immediately. Melania Trump tweeted that she and the president “are feeling good and I have postponed all upcoming engagements”. Despite the r...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican efforts to fill Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat after her death are likely to move swiftly this week, with President Donald Trump possibly nominating a replacement within days and GOP senators hoping to jump-start the confirmation process. Ginsburg’s death in late September of an election year puts the Senate in uncharted political terrain. Trump has urged the Republican-run Senate to consider the nomination “without delay" but has not said whether he would push for a confirmation vote before Election Day. There’s significant risk and uncertainty ahead for both parties. Early voting is underway in some states in the races for the White House and control of Congress. A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don’t know about what’s to come: WHAT’S NEXT? Trump has said he will announce a female nominee to replace Ginsburg as soon as this week. As the Senate meets in the coming days, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ...

Ralph Drollinger, a minister who leads the weekly Bible study group for Donald Trump’s cabinet, says coronavirus is God’s judgment on us. In particular he blames LGBT+ people, environmentalists and people with ‘depraved minds’.  However, the good news is that God doesn’t think America is as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah – yet. In the Old Testament of the Bible, God destroyed those towns with fire and brimstone. Their crimes apparently were either gay male sex – sodomy – or not being good hosts, depending on who you listen to. Writing in blog posts and a ‘Bible study guide’ online, Drollinger sets out his case. He says coronavirus is an example of God’s ‘sowing and reaping wrath’. Apparently divine anger splits into a top five. In at number one is ‘eternal wrath’, better known as Hell. Meanwhile ‘cataclysmic wrath’ is at number three. It can be seen in the Bible stories of Sodom and Gomorrah or the Great Flood, which inspired Noah’s Ark. By comparison,...