Death Penalty News

A Puerto Rico man previously convicted of masterminding one of the island's biggest mass shootings was spared the death penalty on Saturday. The sentencing deliberations for 41-year-old Alexis Candelario Santana ended with a hung jury, meaning he will serve life in prison. He had been found guilty earlier this month in the deaths of eight people and an 8-month-old fetus following an October 2009 bar shooting that also injured more than 20 others. It is the 5th time a Puerto Rican jury has rejected a federal death penalty case. Candelario raised both hands in the air upon hearing the verdict, joining thousands of people across the island who celebrated as well, noting that the U.S. territory's constitution prohibits capital punishment. Candelario, however, was being tried in federal court, which allows for the death penalty. Among those celebrating was Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who said he asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday to cease pursuin...

Daniel Wayne Cook sexually assaulted, tortured and killed 2 men, a jury agreed. He's dead now, executed last August in an Arizona prison. But Cook's name lives on, as part of a lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration's allowing importation of a drug used in executions by injection. Death row inmates in California and several other states are now carrying on the challenge first filed under Cook's name, though of course none will be present Monday when a top appellate court debates the case that's 1 of many attacking lethal injection. "They're trying to conduct this war on as many fronts as possible," said Kent Scheidegger, legal director for the Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a nonprofit public interest law group. "I think this one is important for the way the inmates went after the death penalty by suing the FDA." Scheidegger, a death penalty supporter, filed a friend-of-the-court brief that pr...

Indian Supreme Court Convicts who are awarded death penalty cannot claim commuting of their sentence on the ground of delay in the judicial process, the Supreme Court Thursday said. A bench of justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan cited an apex court judgement of 1989 which had ruled that "sentence can't be commuted merely on the ground of delay alone". The bench gave its view while dealing with the plea of the 11 persons who were given capital punishment by a TADA court in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Though the bench commuted the death sentence of 10 convicts to life imprisonment, except that of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, it pointed out that no rule can be laid down that in every case where there is a long delay in execution of death sentence, the punishment must be substituted by that of life term. "It is a settled law by a Constitution Bench in Triveniben vs State of Gujarat (1989) that sentence can't be commuted merely on the ground of ...

Several years ago, I tried to get inside the head of an executioner. Not literally, of course. I was writing a fictional story about a prison guard whose job included carrying out the death penalty through lethal injection. To understand what an executioner’s life was like, I did extensive research. I talked to people who worked at prisons, though none would say they had done that job or give me the name of anyone who had. They did describe the process of lethal injection, and online I was surprised to find a point-by-point guide. My protagonist, as I portrayed him, essentially compartmentalized the job. During an execution, he and another prison guard would administer drugs at the same time. One administered lethal drugs, the other non-lethal. Neither knew who did what so neither could be sure which one of them was the actual executioner. My lead character felt twinges of discomfort about his work. But after each execution, he and his coworker had little trouble meeting for...

India's Supreme Court India's top court upheld the death penalty on Thursday for a mastermind of the country's deadliest series of attacks and ruled a Bollywood star who bought weapons from the bombers must return to jail. Yakub Memon, brother of the alleged main plotter and fugitive Tiger Memon, was the only one of 11 convicts to see his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court for his role in the 1993 blasts which killed 257 people in Mumbai. The judges also handed down a five-year term for the actor Sanjay Dutt for possessing illegal weapons bought from gangsters accused of orchestrating the bombings. Dutt has already served 18 months but is currently out on bail. Announcing the sentences, Supreme Court judge P. Sathashivam said the Memon brothers and another suspect, Dawood Ibrahim, who is said to be living in Pakistan, "were archers and rest of the appellants were arrows in their hands". "They were the architects of the blasts,...

Georgia Execution Chamber The names of those who carry out Georgia’s executions and the identities of those that supply the lethal drugs would be classified as “state secrets” under legislation moving through the General Assembly. Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, who sponsored the privacy exception, said it is needed to protect individuals involved in the execution process. But opponents said it shields from view how Georgia acquires its lethal-injection drugs and could, if there is a botched execution, prevent the public from finding out why it happened. Tanner successfully attached the “state secrets” amendment to House Bill 122, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on Wednesday. It would keep private the names of the guards on duty during executions, the pharmacist who fills out the prescription and the person who administers the lethal drug, he said. The amendment also requires the identifying information of any entity that “manufactures,...

INDIA'S Parliament has passed a sweeping new law to protect women against sexual violence in response to a fatal December gang rape and beating of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi. The new law, which still requires the president's signature before it becomes official, makes stalking, voyeurism and sexual harassment a crime. It also provides for the death penalty for repeat offenders or for rape attacks that lead to the victim's death. The law also makes it a crime for police officers to refuse to open cases when they receive complaints of sexual attacks. Activists hailed the law as a milestone in India's women's rights movement, even as they raised concerns over some of its provisions as well as the country's poor record of law enforcement. "It's a significant moment. We have taken many steps forward," said Vrinda Grover, a senior lawyer and a women's rights activist. "Much, much more needs to be done." The b...

One of the world’s and the UK's largest pharmaceutical companies has taken steps to ensure its drugs cannot be used to carry out executions by lethal injection. Teva , which describes itself as a “top 10 global pharmaceutical company [with] $20.3bn in sales in 2012,” will put in place distribution controls to ensure its products cannot be used to kill prisoners on America’s death rows. Teva is recommencing production of an anaesthetic called propofol, which in large enough doses can be used to kill. As supplies of other execution drugs run out, US prisons are starting to turn to propofol to carry out capital punishment. The move brings the Israel-headquartered firm – which is also “one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the UK” – into line with other pharma companies including Lundbeck and Fresenius Kabi, who have taken effective steps to block the use of their products in executions. Teva has stated that they too will establish procedures ‘to help preve...

Prince (left) and servant (right) London: A Saudi prince jailed for life in Britain for murdering his servant has been flown home to serve the rest of his sentence, the British government said on Wednesday. Prince Saud Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Nasser was jailed in 2010 for killing Bandar Abdullah Abdul Aziz in a London hotel after subjecting him to a “sadistic” campaign of violence. Britain’s Ministry of Justice confirmed that the 36-year-old royal flew back to Saudi Arabia on Monday after he was granted a transfer to a prison in his homeland. Details of the transfer were announced last month. “We have a prison transfer arrangement with Saudi Arabia which allows nationals of either country to serve their prison sentence in their home state,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Prince Saud has now returned to Saudi Arabia to serve the rest of his sentence. He was transferred in the same way that all prisoners are returned home and is the first prisoner to transfer under this arran...

TOKYO — Japan has had a complicated relationship with tattoos over its history. Unlike in most Western countries where it’s simply considered a form of expression or drunkenly poor decisions, currently body art is generally looked down upon in Japanese society despite having some of the best artists and techniques in the world. And yet most people in Japan are unaware that not too long ago, for a time during the Edo Period (1603-1868) the go-to form of punishment for non-violent crimes was a tattoo right in the center of your forehead. Called a “tattoo penalty” (irezumi kei) it was handed down to perpetrators of relatively minor crimes like theft and burglary. It was classified as a type of “corporal punishment” along with caning. Oftentimes the penalty was accompanied by expulsion from the area. It served as a deterrent both due to the pain of getting your face tattooed and being publicly displayed as a criminal for the rest of your life. In most regions, if a tatto...

Mohamed Ali Baashi, an 18-year-old gay boy, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted with rocks by fighters from the rebel Al-Qaida Link group ALshabaab. The stoning was carried out on Friday, March 15, 2013 in Somalia, about 50 miles from the capital, Mogadishu. A gay teen was allegedly stoned to death as punishment for his homosexuality. According to a gay Muslim group Somali Gay Community , the 18-year-old was buried in a hole up to his chest and pelted with rocks. Identity Kenya reports Mohamed Ali Baashi was grabbed by members of the Al Queda link group ALshabaab about 50 miles from the capital Mogadishu. On one of the pictures, Somali Gay Community writes: ‘In a scene straight out of the Dark Ages, this Somali young man accused of sodomy was stoned to death by Islamic thugs while horrified villagers were forced to watch. ‘A rebel announced that Mohamed Baashi, along with a man who had been accused of murder, had both confessed to t...

Public execution in KSA The conservative kingdom applies a strict interpretation of Shariah and has often faced criticism by Western countries for its frequent use of capital punishment and trials that human rights groups say do not meet international standards. Saudi Arabia has the highest execution rate per capita in the world. The country has put 23 people to death this year compared to 76 in 2012 and 79 the year before. According to Amnesty data, the kingdom executed 423 people from 2007 to 2011. Many commentators in the country usually avoid talking about death sentences issued by Saudi courts due to the fact that the judiciary, dominated by clerics, is very sensitive to criticism. These clerics say that they are applying God’s laws and consider criticism of their sentences as disrespectful. This sensitivity is heightened when criticism comes from international organizations, long viewed with suspicion by conservatives who accuse these organizations of pushing an agenda o...

The death penalty is alive and well in the land of the rising sun -- and death row is particularly wretched. TOKYO – On Feb. 21, Japan hanged three death-row inmates. These executions, the first in 18 months, took place only a few months after Shinzo Abe's new government took office. There is no question as to whether Abe will use his mandate to abolish the death penalty. During his previous stint as Prime Minister in 2006-2007, ten people were hanged in less than a year. The last executions have prompted no public debate. According to polls, the majority of Japanese people support the death penalty, and there are very few vocal abolitionists. Japan is one of the only industrialized country to retain capital punishment, along with the U.S. and South Korea. Although the deterrent effect of the death penalty is debated by criminologists, the Japanese government argues that having the lowest crime rate in the OECD justifies having the death penalty, as well as extre...

Whether the state of Colorado should be able to sentence people to die came to the forefront Tuesday afternoon as several dozen people crammed into a House committee room to testify on a bill to repeal the death penalty. The measure, sponsored by Democratic Reps. Claire Levy of Boulder and Jovan Melton of Aurora, would repeal capital punishment in Colorado for offenses committed after July 1. House Bill 1264 is also co-sponsored by Rep. Kevin Priola, a Republican from Henderson. Lawmakers attempted to repeal the death penalty in 2009, but the attempt failed by a single vote. House Bill 1264 would not impact the three men already on Colorado's death row, or someone charged with a crime committed before the proposal became law. If passed, the death penalty would no longer be an option for prosecutors, just life in prison without the possibility of parole. The last person the state put to death was Gary Davis in 1997. A mixture of proponents — who donned pu...

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers will once again debate the death penalty after a proposal to repeal capital punishment advanced Tuesday to the floor of the Legislature. Although Legislative Bill 543 was expected to obtain the minimum five votes to get out of the Judiciary Committee, none of the eight members voted against it. Only Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial abstained. The bill is the priority of Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who wants to outlaw state executions and replace them with terms of life without parole. Chambers has fought to end execution throughout his long legislative career. Nebraska law currently allows the use of lethal injection for condemned killers, although that method has not yet been used in the state. It was adopted in 2009 after the Nebraska Supreme Court deemed the electric chair cruel and unusual punishment. None of the current 11 death row inmates are scheduled for execution because of a pending legal challenge involving one of the state...

Since the last six executions in Florida involved inmates who had lingered on death row in excess of 25 years, one must agree capital punishment is inefficient. The fact that we have executed only 7 percent of those sent to death row since capital punishment was reinstated makes it foolish to suggest that capital punishment is a deterrent. The Legislature simply will not be able to substantially reduce the time within which a convicted capital defendant can seek redress and still provide the due process that citizens expect and the courts require. Many, particularly the family and friends of the victim, are frustrated that it takes so long for a convicted murderer to finally face justice. They want to see the matter finally resolved. Even they, however, will agree it is better to let the system work in a way to make sure an innocent person is not executed in some rush to execution. Closure does not require the death penalty. What the victims' families really w...

The Missouri death row prisoner Reggie Clemons will make one final appeal on Monday at a special hearing that marks the last glimmer of hope that his life might be spared. Clemons and his defence lawyer, alongside the opposing legal team of the state of Missouri, will come before judge Michael Manners in his court room in Independence, Missouri, to give their final oral arguments in what amounts to one last role of the dice for Clemons. The prisoner has been on death row for 20 years for the double murder of two sisters who were raped and thrown off the Chain of Rocks bridge over the Mississippi in April 1991. Clemons, 41, has consistently claimed innocence. In the course of a three-hour interview with the Guardian, filmed in prison, he said: "I know, and God knows I'm not a rapist. I know I'm not a murderer or a killer. I know I didn't do any of these things. I know I'm innocent." At Monday's final hearing, the onus will be on Clemons as th...

Public execution in KSA Tardy executioners have prompted Saudi Arabia to re-evaluate their centuries-old practice of public beheadings.The use of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is based on a hardline interpretation of Sharia (Islamic) law. The practice attracts international scorn because of the wide array of crimes which garner the death penalty, ranging from murder to witchcraft. Lose your head after your fourth theft, too. After centuries of public beheadings, the kingdom is considering firing squads as an alternative means of execution. The New York Times reports that a special inter-ministerial committee recommended that the kingdom’s governing princes should have the option to utilize firing squads “because of the scarcity of swordsmen and their unavailability in a number of regions,” according to a statement from the committee. That statement explained that the few “officially authorized” swordsmen were so busy traveling between different regions to conduct exe...

States use the death penalty less and less often across the country, and some have even dropped it altogether, but Oklahoma likely won’t join the ranks of those that have outright abolished it. The annual number of executions in the U.S. has fallen by more than half over the past 15 years, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, and 17 states no longer allow capital punishment of murder. But while the number of Oklahoma executions has also fallen, it has put to death more convicted prisoners than all but two other states, and there seems to be little chance to change that. “I think it’s safe to say there’s a lot of support for the death penalty in Oklahoma,” said state Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, one of the few state legislators publicly opposed to capital punishment. A 2011 report from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation found nearly 90 percent of Oklahomans supported the death penalty, and spokespeople for both Gov. Mary Fallin and Attorn...

After refraining from executing individuals for four years, the Indonesian authorities executed a Nigerian national, Adami Wilson, on 14 March 2013 . The Tangerang District Court named Adami guilty of drug dealing and sentenced him to death in 2004. The Attorney General Office (AGO) mentioned to the press that Adami's sentence is the first of other nine executions planned to take place this year. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is saddened by the execution of Adami Wilson and condemns the plan of the AGO to continue with further executions. While agreeing that individuals involved in criminal activities including drug crimes should be punished, the AHRC insists that death penalty is a violation to the right to life which is guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which has been ratified by Indonesia. International human rights standards have established that the taking of lives by states cannot ...