[WCADP-list] May Execution Alert

Tue May 2 10:41:45 PDT 2006

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

e - @ b o l i t i o n i s t

May 2006

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Seven Executions Scheduled in May

There are seven execution dates spread throughout the month of May, with
four of them scheduled in Texas. The cases of two death row inmates
scheduled for execution on May 17th raise serious concerns.

One of these is Sedley Alley, who is scheduled to be executed by the state
of Tennessee on May 17th. There is substantial and reasonable doubt as to
the credibility of Alley's conviction and death sentence. 

Another, Jermaine Herron, awaits execution on Texas' death row. Crucial to
the prosecution's case against Herron were the statements he made to police
without an attorney present---even though he had explicitly requested one.
This fact ties into a larger problem of ineffective assistance of council. 

Read more about these and the other five cases below -- and ACT!

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Do Not Execute Sedley Alley!

The state of Tennessee is scheduled to execute Sedley Alley despite serious
concerns about the reliability of his conviction. Evidence withheld from the
defense at trial indicates that police had Alley under surveillance at the
time of the homicide. This evidence, which had been withheld for 20 years,
seriously calls into question Alley's guilt, since the police's own records
show that he was not present at the time of the victim's death. 

Physical evidence exists that could establish, once and for all, whether or
not Alley is guilty or innocent. This evidence has never been tested for DNA
evidence. The testing can be done quickly, with no cost to the state and no
delay of the execution, should it, in fact, point to Alley as the killer.
But the state has opposed all attempts to have this evidence tested.

Other problems likewise call the conviction into question. Under these
circumstances, the burning question becomes, what are Shelby County and the
state of Tennessee so afraid of that they would fight against a fair and
just examination of all evidence?

ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Phil Bredesen requesting that he stop the
execution of Sedley Alley! 

 Read More and Take Action at:
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Do Not Execute Jermaine Herron! 

Jermaine Herron, a black man, awaits execution on Texas' death row. Crucial
to the prosecution's case against Herron were the statements he made to
police after surrendering himself for arrest.  What is troubling is that
these statements were made without an attorney present even though Herron
had explicitly requested one. 

Although the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals admitted that the trial court
had made an error by allowing Herron's statements, they deemed the error
"harmless" and refused to grant Herron relief. This begs the question of
whether or not the jury would have arrived at the same verdict had the
statement been excluded. While we will never know the answer to this
question, this case illustrates that human fallibility is a reality in our
criminal justice system.       

ACT NOW by contacting Gov. Rick Perry and asking that Jermain Herron's
execution be halted!  

Read More and Take Action at:
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3
438

  _____  

See and act on all current Execution Alerts at

<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=116532963&url_num=4&url=
http://www.ncadp.org/execution_alerts.html>
http://www.ncadp.org/execution_alerts.html

May 2: Joseph Clark, OH
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434
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May 4: Jackie Wilson, TX
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 May 12: Jerry Conner, NC
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May 16: Derrick O'Brien, TX
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May 17: Jermaine Herron, TX 
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May 17: Sedley Alley, TN 
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May 24: Jesus Aguilar, TX 
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440
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=http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=
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The Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
It's easy to support the death penalty when you don't have all the facts
P. O. Box 3045
Seattle, WA 98114
(206) 622-8952
www.abolishdeathpenalty.org <http://www.abolishdeathpenalty.org/> 

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