Report exposes flaws in Alabama’s death penalty and offers solutions
System places low-income, African American and disabled Alabamians at unacceptable risk
Oct. 19, 2005
MONTGOMERY – At a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m., a new report detailing unfair and discriminatory practices in Alabama’s criminal justice system will be released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, along with 10 other sponsoring organizations.
The report, entitled “Broken Justice: The Death Penalty in Alabama,” identifies six major areas of concern: inadequate defense, prosecutorial misconduct, judicial override of jury recommendations, execution of the mentally retarded, racial discrimination, and geographical disparities.
“Of all the actions carried out by the state,” the report says, “none warrants more cautious implementation and stringent review than the imposition of the death penalty. Yet in Alabama, this most solemn responsibility remains fraught with inconsistencies and inequities.”
The report also recommends reform measures, including a moratorium on the death penalty, establishment of a statewide public defender system, and legislation to define the procedures for determining mental retardation. A July 2005 poll by the Capital Survey Research Center found that 57 percent of Alabamians would support a moratorium, or a temporary freeze, on executions to allow a thorough review of the state’s capital punishment system.
The State House press conference on Wednesday, October 19, at 10:00 am will feature:
Senator Hank Sanders
Olivia Turner, Executive Director, ACLU of Alabama
Kimble Forrister, State Coordinator, Alabama ARISE
Representatives of faith, social justice and human rights groups
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