Inmate Claims Ohio Incapable of a Successful Execution: New York Times writer Bob Driehaus reports that Ohio another death row inmate, Lawrence Raymond Reynolds Jr., is asking for a stay in his execution because Ohio's lethal injection procedures are inadequate, and his execution is cruel and unusual punishment. Reynolds, 43, was found guilty of the 1994 murder and attempted rape of
67-year-old Loretta Foster. He confessed to the crime while playing pool the night of her murder. Reynolds' lawyer, Kelly Schneider, says that Ohio's failed attempt to execute Romell Broom demonstrates that the lethal injection protocol is flawed and should not be used to execute Reynolds. But Assistant Attorney General Charles L. Wille stated in a federal court filing that "[t]he difficulties in accessing Broom's veins and the postponement of Broom's execution are not indications that the execution of Reynolds or other prisoners cannot be conducted appropriately." Reynolds' execution is scheduled for next Thursday, October 8, 2009.
DNA Finds Suspect in a 20-Year-Old Murder Case: Newsday writers Andrew Strickler and John Valenti report that DNA evidence has linked suspect Joey Bethea, 36, to the 1989 murder of Dorothy LeConte. Police say LeConte was raped, thrown or pushed from a bridge, and died from asphyxiation. Bethea, who has a long rap sheet, was not previously a suspect in the case. Bethea was linked to the crime by semen gathered from LeConte's body. Arrested three times since 2005, Bethea had never submitted a DNA sample. It was not until August 2009 that the police were able to go to his home and obtain a sample. On Tuesday, Bethea was charged with second-degree murder and felony murder.
Study Looks at Massachusetts' 1996 Law, and Its Affect On Juveniles: Boston Globe writer Jonathan Saltzman reports that Massachusetts has one of the harshest laws in the country when sentencing minors to life in prison, according to a study done by the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts. The study reports on a two-year review of juveniles, aged 14 through 16, who were tried for first degree murder in adult court and then sentenced to life. Under Massachusetts' 1996 law the court does not review past conduct, level of participation of the crime, personal background, or potential for rehabilitation. When the law was passed in 1996, the harshest punishment for a juvenile who committed first degree murder was incarceration until 21-years-old. This was insufficient to address the juveniles who committed first-degree murder, especially in a state like Massachusetts that does not impose the death penalty. Two law makers, Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty and Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, said that they were willing to reexamine the law. Sentencing juveniles to LWOP has garnered plenty of attention since the Supreme Court agreed to review the issue in Sullivan v. Florida. Several amicus for Sullivan cited scientific studies to argue that teenagers cannot appreciate the consequences of their actions. CJLF took a look at some of these studies and addressed them in our own brief. We argue that certain juveniles are just as dangerous as adults and should be punished accordingly. Doug Berman also has a post on the report at Sentencing Law and Policy.
DNA Finds Suspect in a 20-Year-Old Murder Case: Newsday writers Andrew Strickler and John Valenti report that DNA evidence has linked suspect Joey Bethea, 36, to the 1989 murder of Dorothy LeConte. Police say LeConte was raped, thrown or pushed from a bridge, and died from asphyxiation. Bethea, who has a long rap sheet, was not previously a suspect in the case. Bethea was linked to the crime by semen gathered from LeConte's body. Arrested three times since 2005, Bethea had never submitted a DNA sample. It was not until August 2009 that the police were able to go to his home and obtain a sample. On Tuesday, Bethea was charged with second-degree murder and felony murder.
Study Looks at Massachusetts' 1996 Law, and Its Affect On Juveniles: Boston Globe writer Jonathan Saltzman reports that Massachusetts has one of the harshest laws in the country when sentencing minors to life in prison, according to a study done by the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts. The study reports on a two-year review of juveniles, aged 14 through 16, who were tried for first degree murder in adult court and then sentenced to life. Under Massachusetts' 1996 law the court does not review past conduct, level of participation of the crime, personal background, or potential for rehabilitation. When the law was passed in 1996, the harshest punishment for a juvenile who committed first degree murder was incarceration until 21-years-old. This was insufficient to address the juveniles who committed first-degree murder, especially in a state like Massachusetts that does not impose the death penalty. Two law makers, Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty and Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, said that they were willing to reexamine the law. Sentencing juveniles to LWOP has garnered plenty of attention since the Supreme Court agreed to review the issue in Sullivan v. Florida. Several amicus for Sullivan cited scientific studies to argue that teenagers cannot appreciate the consequences of their actions. CJLF took a look at some of these studies and addressed them in our own brief. We argue that certain juveniles are just as dangerous as adults and should be punished accordingly. Doug Berman also has a post on the report at Sentencing Law and Policy.
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