Supporting the Death Penalty: Sacramento Bee published an opinion piece by David E. Brown supporting California's continued use of the death penalty. California voters have always overwhelmingly supported death penalty
initiatives, and Brown agrees. He writes that the real problem "with California's death penalty is its inability to carry out executions following convictions and sentences." Since California reinstated the death penalty in 1978, only 14 inmates on death row have been executed. Brown believes that because of the judicial system's failure to approve executions, the death penalty in California has become a de facto life-without-possibility-of-parole sentence.
Pennsylvania's Death Penalty System: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Torsten Ove reports on Pennsylvania's failure to execute anyone since Gary Heidnik in 1999. Pennsylvania has more than 220 prisoners on death row and although Governor Ed Rendell has signed 101 death warrants, executions are not occurring. Last week Governor Rendell signed a death warrant for Richard Baumhammers, but says most likely there will not be an execution. Baumhammers is a racially motivated mass murder who targeted minorities, and because he has taken full advantage of the appeals process he is unlikely to be executed on March 18. Ove writes that since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1978, Pennsylvania has not executed anyone who has not waived their right to an appeal. Buamhammers' appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in October, and he may still file a stay of execution with the Allegheny County trial judge and file a habeas corpus petition in U.S. District Court. Ove reports there on 20 other inmates from Western Pennsylvania for whom governors have signed death warrants that remain on death row.
DNA Nabs a Rapist: The Massachusetts' Patriot Ledger published an article from GateHouse New Service writer Greg Smith about how police caught a 1988 kidnapping and sexual assault suspect with DNA evidence. James Thomas Ward was convicted lat year of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree kidnapping of a 20-year-old newlywed. Police had followed many leads, but came up empty handed and the investigation was suspended in 1990. The case was reopened in 2005 when Ward's DNA profile was found to match evidence collected from the victim's sweater.
North Carolina's Desire to Expand DNA Database: Citizen Times writer Dale Neal reports that North Carolina's Attorney General, Roy Cooper, wants to expand the state's DNA database to require samples from anyone arrested for a felony. According to Neal, 21 states require a DNA sample taken from anyone arrested on a felony charge. It is believed that the expansion of the DNA database will help solve cold cases where there are no suspects. Cooper says, "When you ask people how they want their tax money spent, public safety is high on the list." With more data, police officers could get leads in cold cases where they do not have suspects.
If You Name It Like an Airline, Don't Be Surprised When It Crashes: John Fund at the WSJ has some schadenfreude with the demise of "über liberal talk radio network" Air America. Okay, that's enough Deutsch.
Pennsylvania's Death Penalty System: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Torsten Ove reports on Pennsylvania's failure to execute anyone since Gary Heidnik in 1999. Pennsylvania has more than 220 prisoners on death row and although Governor Ed Rendell has signed 101 death warrants, executions are not occurring. Last week Governor Rendell signed a death warrant for Richard Baumhammers, but says most likely there will not be an execution. Baumhammers is a racially motivated mass murder who targeted minorities, and because he has taken full advantage of the appeals process he is unlikely to be executed on March 18. Ove writes that since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1978, Pennsylvania has not executed anyone who has not waived their right to an appeal. Buamhammers' appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in October, and he may still file a stay of execution with the Allegheny County trial judge and file a habeas corpus petition in U.S. District Court. Ove reports there on 20 other inmates from Western Pennsylvania for whom governors have signed death warrants that remain on death row.
DNA Nabs a Rapist: The Massachusetts' Patriot Ledger published an article from GateHouse New Service writer Greg Smith about how police caught a 1988 kidnapping and sexual assault suspect with DNA evidence. James Thomas Ward was convicted lat year of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree kidnapping of a 20-year-old newlywed. Police had followed many leads, but came up empty handed and the investigation was suspended in 1990. The case was reopened in 2005 when Ward's DNA profile was found to match evidence collected from the victim's sweater.
North Carolina's Desire to Expand DNA Database: Citizen Times writer Dale Neal reports that North Carolina's Attorney General, Roy Cooper, wants to expand the state's DNA database to require samples from anyone arrested for a felony. According to Neal, 21 states require a DNA sample taken from anyone arrested on a felony charge. It is believed that the expansion of the DNA database will help solve cold cases where there are no suspects. Cooper says, "When you ask people how they want their tax money spent, public safety is high on the list." With more data, police officers could get leads in cold cases where they do not have suspects.
If You Name It Like an Airline, Don't Be Surprised When It Crashes: John Fund at the WSJ has some schadenfreude with the demise of "über liberal talk radio network" Air America. Okay, that's enough Deutsch.
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