Newsletter: May, 2021
Our newsletters are sent to members at the end of every month. They are composed of articles (usually US death penalty-themed) written by members for members.
We publish an abbreviated version here shortly after it is sent out. If you'd like to write for the newsletter and support us, click here to become a member.
Federal court orders a new sentencing trial for Willie James Pye
In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the death sentence of Willie James Pye, ordering a new sentencing hearing. Pye, a Black man, was sentenced to death in 1996 in Spalding County Georgia, with his co-defendant being sentenced to life in prison... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturns death sentence
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has overturned the death sentence of Miles Sterling Bench, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as McGirt. The ruling in McGirt found that the state lacks jurisdiction for crimes on tribal reservations in which the defendants or victims were tribal citizens... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member
After nearly a decade without executions, South Carolina approves the firing squad
On May 5th, 2021, South Carolina’s House of Representatives voted 66-43 to approve a bill that authorises the use of a firing squad as a method of execution. The vote was just one day short of South Carolina’s ten-year anniversary since their last execution.... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member
Death row prisoner to get new trial after “shocking prosecutorial misconduct”
Clinton Young was sentenced to death for the murder of Doyle Douglas and Samuel Petrey on 15th April 2003. However, in an order dated 26th April 2021, Senior Judge Sid Harle has recommended that Young be granted a new trial on the basis of “shocking prosecutorial misconduct”... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member
Texas house of representatives passes bill to limit death-penalty eligibility for defendants who do not kill
In a bipartisan vote of 135 to 6, the Texas House of Representatives approved bill HB 14350, advancing it to the Texas Senate for consideration. The bill addresses the controversial law of parties in Texas, which allows a defendant to be sentenced to death if they are merely present when a capital crime is being committed... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member
FEATURE: China and the (Ab)use of the Death Penalty
Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Tunisian sociologist, was of the view that a “government prevents injustice, other than such as it commits itself”, which accurately describes the use of the death penalty in China. Amnesty International’s report on the use of the death penalty in 2020 revealed... Read more by becoming an Amicus Member